Chinese foreign minister: U.N. North Korea measures 'necessary'

BEIJING, Sept. 14 (UPI) -- The Chinese foreign minister said he welcomes additional United Nations Security Council measures against North Korea as "necessary."

But Wang Yi also called for calm and restraint on the Korean peninsula, Beijing's foreign ministry said on Wednesday.

The statement comes after Wang exchanged views by phone with his South Korean counterpart Yun Byung-se, Yonhap news agency reported.

"With regards to North Korea's nuclear test, I am in favor of the necessary response from the United Nations but at the same time request the countries concerned exercise calm and restraint so as to not further heighten tensions," Wang said in his statement.

The foreign minister did not explicitly mention sanctions, which Beijing has been implementing since March while making some allowances for North Korean iron ore imports.

Wang also reiterated Chinese opposition to THAAD deployment to the South Korean foreign minister, according to Beijing.

China has raised concerns about the U.S. missile defense system and has blamed the United States for pressuring China to take responsibility for North Korean belligerence.

The Communist Party's newspaper People's Daily criticized the United States on Wednesday, stating Washington is neither a third party nor a judge in the North Korea nuclear issue. The United States must take responsibility for the developments on the Korean peninsula, the newspaper stated.

The United States, South Korea and Japan support heavier sanctions against North Korea, and U.S. State Secretary John Kerry is to meet with his Japanese and South Korean counterparts to discuss responses in the wake of North Korea's fifth nuclear test.

The meeting, to be held on Sunday in New York, is to focus on pressures against North Korea, stronger sanctions and unilateral sanctions, according to Seoul's foreign ministry.