BEIJING (Reuters) - The United States is optimistic that China will take strong action against North Korea and has urged Beijing to increase scrutiny of financial institutions with links to Pyongyang, U.S. Treasury Undersecretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David Cohen said on Friday.

Cohen said that the United States believes that China is looking at the threat by North Korea in a new and different way.

Dan Fried, the U.S. State Department's new coordinator of sanctions policy, also said Washington hopes ultimately to reach a diplomatic solution with North Korea.

(Reporting by Terril Yue Jones, Writing by Sui-Lee Wee; editing by Jonathan Standing)