JANE PERLEZ

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry warned Wednesday that if China failed to do more to curb North Korea’s enhanced nuclear capacity, Washington would take steps that China has strongly opposed, including deploying defense systems to protect U.S. allies in Asia.

The move was meant to reassure allies in Japan, Vietnam and the Philippines that the United States would stand up to China’s efforts to unilaterally change facts on the ground by building up artificial islands in the Spratly Island chain.

Kim Jong Un gave his first public speech in three years to stress his readiness to “fight any form of war” with the United States.