Susan Rice called North Korea’s actions “unacceptable” and said the United Nations will not allow North Korea to continue to build a nuclear weapons program. Rice said China has a “strong interest” in stopping North Korea and is “willing to work” with the United States. Rice said North Korea would become “further and further isolated” from the international community and would continue to face “significant additional pressure.” “They will pay a price,” Rice added. “We’re prepared to step up our efforts.” Rice said it appears North Korea has material for six to eight nuclear devices. “However many they have, that’s too many,” she said. "If you want to continue to test and provoke the international community, they're going to find they'll pay a price because the international community is clear: it's not acceptable," Rice said on CNN television, in reaction to Pyongyang test-firing two short-range missiles Tuesday.
"We agreed yesterday we're going to pursue in the security council a new resolution - a strong resolution with teeth," she said, adding that sanctions "could take very different forms" and might include "economic levers." After Monday's emergency meeting at UN headquarters in New York, member states decided to "immediately" begin working on a new Security Council resolution to address the weapons tests, council president Vitaly Churkin of Russia said, declaring "strong opposition and condemnation of the nuclear test" by the body.
