WASHINGTON -- US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, agreed in a phone conversation Monday to exert maximum pressure on North Korea over its nuclear and ballistic missile program, the White House said.

The two leaders discussed "North Korea's continued defiance of the international community and its efforts to destabilize Northeast Asia," it said in a summary of the call that followed North Korea's launch of another ballistic missile over Japan on Friday.
 

"The two leaders committed to maximizing pressure on North Korea through vigorous enforcement of United Nations Security Council resolutions," it said.

The UN Security Council adopted new sanctions against Pyongyang last week, including restrictions on its imports of oil. China, the main supplier of North Korea's fuel, backed the measures.

Trump arrived in New York earlier in the day to attend a series of meetings surrounding the UN General Assembly this week. North Korea is expected to be high on the agenda following its defiant missile launches and sixth and most powerful nuclear test on Sept. 3.

Xi will be absent from the gathering. (Yonhap)