China is "seriously concerned" over the tensions created by the missile test-firing by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said in Beijing on Wednesday.

 

"We are seriously concerned with what has happened," Liu said in a press release.

 

He urged the parties concerned to keep calm and exercise restraint, make more efforts to promote peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula and the northeast Asia and avoid actions which could further intensify and complicate the situation.

 

China has made unremitting efforts to ease the tensions in the Korean Peninsula, maintain regional peace and stability and push forward the negotiation process of the six-party talks, Liu said.

 

"We'll continue to work together with all the other parties and play a constructive role," Liu said.

 

A press release from China's Foreign Ministry said Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing on Wednesday had telephone talks on the subject with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Japanese Foreign Minister Aso Taro, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Korea Ban Ki-Moon and Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer.

 

Li exchanged views with the four foreign ministers on the latest developments on the Korean Peninsula, according to the press release.

 

(Xinhua News Agency July 6, 2006)