'Act prudently,' China tells North Korea

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BEIJING, Dec. 4 (UPI) -- China called on fellow members of six-way nuclear talks with North Korea to deal with Pyongyang's pending rocket concerns as calmly as possible.

North Korea last weekend said it planned to launch a satellite into orbit using a long-range rocket. Pyongyang early this year agreed to halt nuclear and weapons testing but reneged on the deal with a rocket launch that failed in April.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said Beijing has been in contact with the United States, Russia and Japan on the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

"We hope the parties concerned can take a long-term perspective, deal with this calmly, and avoid taking actions that may further escalate the situation," he was quoted by the official Xinhua news agency saying.

Nuclear talks among China, both Koreas, Japan, Russia and the United States have been idled since 2008.

Similar launches by North Korea in 2006 and 2009 coincided with nuclear tests. The Chinese spokesman said Pyongyang has the right to peaceful space activity.

"But in view of the situation on the Korea Peninsula and restrictions of relevant U.N. Security Council resolutions, China hopes (North Korea) can proceed from the overall situation of peace and stability on the peninsula and act prudently," he said.