If North Korea launches an attack that threatens the US then China should stay neutral but if the US attacks first and tries to overthrow North Korea's government, China will stop them, a Chinese state-run newspaper says.
President Donald Trump ratcheted up his rhetoric toward North Korea and its leader on Thursday, warning Pyongyang against attacking Guam or US allies after it disclosed plans to fire missiles over Japan to land near the US Pacific territory.
China, North Korea's most important ally and trading partner, has reiterated calls for calm during the crisis.
It has expressed frustration with both Pyongyang's repeated nuclear and missile tests and with behaviour from South Korea and the US that it sees as escalating tensions.
The state-run Global Times, published by the ruling Communist Party's official People's Daily, wrote in an editorial that Beijing was not able to persuade either Washington or Pyongyang to back down.
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"It needs to make clear its stance to all sides and make them understand that when their actions jeopardise China's interests, China will respond with a firm hand," said the paper, which does not represent government policy.
"China should also make clear that if North Korea launches missiles that threaten US soil first and the US retaliates, China will stay neutral."
"If the US and South Korea carry out strikes and try to overthrow the North Korean regime and change the political pattern of the Korean Peninsula, China will prevent them from doing so."
