Beijing renews calls for calm on peninsula

China on Friday called for calm and restraint on the Korean Peninsula, as analysts said the risk of a flashpoint is increasing.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea announced that it will sever a military hotline with the Republic of Korea, nullify non-aggression agreements between the two and totally abrogate the joint declaration on the denuclearization of the peninsula.

The statement from the DPRK's Committee for the Peaceful Reunification of Korea came hours after the United Nations Security Council on Thursday passed a new resolution expanding sanctions on the DPRK for its Feb 12 nuclear test.