Trump, Abe discuss 'growing threat' posed by North Korea

The discussion took place at a time when North Korea announced its sixth nuclear test - detonating a hydrogen bomb, with, what the state media called, "perfect success". The device was capable of being loaded onto long-range missiles.

"President Donald J Trump spoke today with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan to discuss ongoing efforts to maximise pressure on North Korea," the White House said in a readout of the call, the third between the two leaders in less than a week.

The readout, however, did not say whether the conversation came before or after the North's latest test.

According to the White House, Trump and Abe reaffirmed the importance of close cooperation between the US, Japan, and South Korea in the face of the growing threat from North Korea.

"Trump noted that he looks forward to continued trilateral coordination on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly," the White House said.

Yesterday, Trump also talked to his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-in and discussed a coordinated response to deal with the "destabilising and escalatory behaviour" of North Korea.