SEOUL – U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel reiterated on Saturday his nation’s stance against North Korea’s nuclear weapons program and underlined the importance of China’s participation in talks with North Korea.

“The United States will not stand by while North Korea seeks to develop a nuclear-armed missile that can target the United States,” Hagel said, speaking at the Asia Security Summit in Singapore.

“The United States has been clear that we will take all necessary steps to protect our homeland and our allies from dangerous provocations, including significantly bolstering our missile defense throughout the Pacific,” he said, referring to the