(VOVworld) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on Monday that Japan and the US had agreed to maintain close contact over North Korea, while demanding Pyongyang show restraint as tensions in the region rise.

US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at a joint press conference in in Washington on February 10, 2017 (Photo: AP)

Mr. Abe told reporters after a telephone call with US President Donald Trump that he appreciated the US leader's words that all options are on the table when it comes to dealing with North Korea.

On Sunday, US Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said President Trump will face a nuclear armed North Korea with missiles that could reach the US territory in this term. He said Mr. Trump needs to deal with this issue more seriously before any second term.

In another development, during a telephone talk with Trump on Monday, Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed his hope that all sides should practice restraint and avoid any acts that can deteriorate the situation on the Korean peninsula. President Xi said China protests any action that violates the UN Security Council’s resolutions.