US, China agree on N Korea sanctions

The United States and China have made a deal under which the UN Security Council will expand existing sanctions against North Korea for staging a ballistic missile test, envoys said Friday.
The deal was struck after weeks of intense negotiations following the December 12 launch. The talks have involved US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi, according to envoys.
China wants to shield its ally against new action on top of sanctions ordered after its nuclear tests in 2006 and 2009. US and Chinese diplomats made no immediate comment on the negotiations.