The former US director of intelligence said the Trump administration’s approach to rising tensions with North Korea is “unhelpful background noise.”
Speaking to BBC Radio 4 Today, Mr Negroponte said: “I think hot rhetoric is never a very good idea in international diplomacy and I think in this particular case when both sides are brandishing pretty severe threats it seems to me maybe it would be useful if the rhetoric could be toned down a little bit.
“It’s not desirable, so we must do all to diffuse the level of tension. I sincerely hope that China really plays much much more seriously some constructive role at this time.”
Mr Negroponte said he feared escalating tensions could lead to “miscalculations” with terrible consequences for the rest of the world.
He continued: “I’m concerned that it raises the risk of miscalculation, perhaps on both sides.
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“Certainly, the conventional wisdom has always been that if some kind of military action were taken by us against North Korea that they would immediately retaliate against the South because their border is so close to Seoul.
“They could, with conventional artillery and conventional rocketry, attack Seoul almost with impunity.”
Commenting on US President Donald Trump‘s approach to the situation, Mr Negroponte said: “I think he’s learning his job, his learning curve has been steep. I’m not sure he’s fully there yet, but I do think his secretary of state and others around him have gained a lot of wisdom.”
He added that international players should now come together to “see if there are both the carrot and the sticks” to convince North Korea to abandon its “aggressive behaviour.”
Following weeks of escalating tension with the Mr Trump and US allies, North Korea accused the United States of declaring war.
The White House branded the accusation “absurd” and denied declaring war on North Korea hours after admitting Mr Trump will have options on how to deal with Pyongyang presented to him if provocations continue.