Tillerson affirms importance of constructive China ties - State Department

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson spoke by telephone with China's top diplomat on Tuesday and affirmed the importance of a constructive U.S.-China relationship, and the two agreed on the need to address the threat posed by North Korea, the State Department said. Tillerson and Yang Jiechi, China's state councillor, also discussed economics and trade, and potential cooperation on counterterrorism, law enforcement and transnational crime, the State Department said in a statement. (Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)