China says diplomacy needed to rid Korean peninsula of nuclear weapons

At a regular news briefing, ministry spokesman Geng Shuang reiterated China's call for more steps by the U.N. Security Council, saying he hoped its members could reach consensus.

A U.S.-drafted resolution originally called for an oil embargo on the North, a halt to key textile exports and financial and travel bans on leader Kim Jong Un, but appears to have been watered down, according to a draft seen by Reuters.

North Korea drew global condemnation for conducting its sixth nuclear test on Sept 3, which it said was of an advanced hydrogen bomb.

(Reporting by Philip Wen; Writing by Christian Shepherd; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)