By its international responsibilities.. "The old pattern of provocation that then gets attention and somehow insists on the world purchasing good behavior from them, that pattern is broken," Obama said in a joint news conference with Noda at the White House.. Noda said that, given North Korea's past practice, there appears to be a good chance it would undertake yet another nuclear test. He said China remains an important player in trying to restrain North Korea's nuclear program.. Noda was in Washington looking to reaffirm the strong Japan-U.S. alliance and to boost his leadership credentials as his popularity flags at home. Noda, who came to power in September as Japan's sixth prime minister in six years, faces huge challenges in reviving a long-slumbering economy and helping his nation recover from the worst nuclear crisis since Chernobyl
