China on Monday called on all parties concerned to maintain restraint and remain calm over the ballistic missile launch by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) last Wednesday.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying made the remarks at a daily press briefing in response to a statement issued by the UN Security Council on Friday condemning the launch as a "grave violation of" the Pyongyang's international obligations under Security Council resolutions.
"We hope all parties can refrain from doing things that may irritate others or escalate the tensions," she said, adding that the signal sent by the Security Council "needs to be comprehensive and balanced."
The Security Council has adopted five resolutions -- resolutions 1718 (2006), 1874 (2009), 2087 (2013), 2094 (2013) and 2270 (2016) -- to curb the DPRK's nuclear and missile programs. The latest one, adopted in March, imposes the most severe sanctions yet on the country, including an export ban and asset freeze.
Stressing that China has been consistent on the Korean Peninsular nuclear issue, Hua said China would continue to support the denuclearization of the peninsula, protect peace and stability in the peninsula and support the resolution of differences via negotiation and dialogue.
The DPRK on Wednesday test-fired a ballistic missile from a submarine off its east coast into the sea. The launch came after the Republic of Korea and the United States began their annual military drills last Monday.
