China's foreign ministry has urged the US and North Korea to sit down with each other face-to-face and resolve their problems, as tension continues to climb on the Korean peninsula after the North's latest rocket test.
While China was angered by the launch, it has also expressed concern at plans by Washington and South Korea to deploy an advanced US missile defence system, saying it would impact upon China's own security.
"The focus of the nuclear issue on the peninsula is between the United States and North Korea," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a daily news briefing on Monday.
"We urge the United States and North Korea to sit down and have communications and negotiations, to explore ways to resolve each other's reasonable concerns and finally reach the goal we all want reached."
North Korea launched a long-range rocket on February 7 carrying what it called a satellite, drawing renewed international condemnation just weeks after it carried out a nuclear bomb test.
It said the launch was for peaceful purposes, but Seoul and Washington have said it violated United Nations Security Council resolutions because it used ballistic missile technology.
North Korea's nuclear bomb test last month was also banned by a UN resolution.
China, while frustrated by North Korea and having signed up for numerous previous rounds of United Nations sanctions on its isolated neighbour, has said it does not believe sanctions are the way to resolve the problem and has urged a return to talks.
Numerous efforts to restart multilateral talks have failed since negotiations collapsed following the last round in 2008.
Chinese popular opinion has become increasingly fed up with North Korea, a country once a close diplomatic ally.
In an editorial on Monday, the official English-language China Daily called for new UN sanctions to "truly bite".
"The threat of a nuclear-armed DPRK is more real than ever," it said, using the North's formal name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
Hong repeated that North Korea would have to "pay a price" for its behaviour.
Meanwhile North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un has praised scientists involved in the country's recent rocket launch and ordered them to press ahead with more launches, The Associated Press reported.
The North's official Korean Central News Agency said the ruling Workers' Party on Saturday gave a banquet in honour of scientists, officials and others who it said contributed to the February 7 rocket launch. Kim and his top deputies were present.
In a speech, Kim said the launch gave confidence and courage to his people and dealt a "telling blow to the enemies seeking to block the advance of our country", KCNA said, in an apparent reference to Seoul and Washington.
