Otto Warmbier's death after returning from North Korean imprisonment is stoking outrage in Washington and threatening to overshadow high-level US-Chinese talks.
President Donald Trump has been counting on China to use its economic leverage with Kim Jong Un's totalitarian government.
American concern is growing over North Korea's acceleration toward having a nuclear-tipped missile that can strike the US mainland.
Top US and Chinese diplomats and defence chiefs are meeting today in the US capital for security talks. The US side says North Korea will get "top billing" in the discussions.
They will also talk about tensions in the South China Sea.
No cause of death has been determined for Warmbier, who was detained for nearly a year-and-a-half in North Korea before being sent home in a coma last week.
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