Donald Trump wants China to put maximum pressure on North Korea, says White House

US President Donald Trump favors China taking a greater role in putting maximum pressure on North Korea, the White House said on Friday, following Beijing's decision to send a special envoy to Pyongyang.

Chinese President Xi Jinping's special envoy, Song Tao, will visit North Korea on Friday to inform its leadership about the outcome of the recent national congress of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC).

"The president certainly favors China taking a greater role in putting maximum pressure on North Korea," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters at her daily news conference.

The Chinese envoy's visit comes days after Trump's completion of a five-nation tour of Asia, during which he urged Xi to do more to pressure North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un to give up nuclear weapons programme.

"Certainly, any effort in order to denuclearise the Peninsula there in North Korea, then China participating in that, the president certainly supports those efforts," Sanders said.

Trump took to Twitter to welcome China's decision.

"China is sending an Envoy and Delegation to North Korea - A big move, we'll see what happens!" Trump said in a tweet yesterday.