Tillerson breaks with Trump: We don't blame China for North Korea threat

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Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Tuesday said the United States wants to "have a dialogue" with North Korea.

Speaking to reporters at the State Department, Tillerson also appeared to contradict President Trump over China's role in reining in Pyongyang, saying the United States does not hold China responsible for the current situation.

"We certainly don't blame the Chinese for the situation in North Korea," he said. "Only the North Koreans are to blame for this situation.

"We are trying to convey to the North Koreans, we are not your enemy, we are not your threat, but you are presenting an unacceptable threat to us, and we have to respond," he added later. "And we hope that at some point, they would begin to understand that and then we would like to sit and have a dialogue with them about the future that will give them the security they seek and the future economic prosperity for North Korea."

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After the test, Trump lashed out at China, saying on Twitter the country has done "nothing."

"I am very disappointed in China. Our foolish past leaders have allowed them to make hundreds of billions of dollars a year in trade, yet they do NOTHING for us with North Korea, just talk," Trump wrote in a pair of tweets Sunday. "We will no longer allow this to continue. China could easily solve this problem!"

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