China urges Korean Peninsula parties to stop provocation

BEIJING -- China on Wednesday urged parties involved in the Korean Peninsula to improve relations and create an atmosphere for an early resumption of six-party talks.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang made the remarks at a daily news briefing when asked to comment on reports that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) fired seven more short-range projectiles on Tuesday on its east coast.

"As the DPRK's neighbor, we are concerned about the Korean Peninsula situation and are delighted with the recent improvement of inter-Korean relations," Qin said.

He cited the recent increase in interactions between the DPRK and the Republic of Korea (ROK), including family reunions and high-level talks last month.

China has made great efforts to promote talks and ease tensions on the Peninsula as Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin has visited the DPRK and ROK, Qin said.

China urges parties concerned to be discreet in speech and action to prevent the situation from escalating, the spokesman said.

The current situation on the Korean Peninsula is stable, and parties concerned should continue to improve relations and avoid provoking each other, Qin said.

The recent series of missile launches, which started on Feb. 21, overlap with ROK-U.S. annual military drills that began last week.

The DPRK said on Wednesday the short-range missile launches were "successful normal training within its own territory," the official KCNA news agency reported.

The six-party talks between the DPRK, the ROK, the United States, China, Japan and Russia have been suspended since late 2008.