China urges peaceful solution to Korean Peninsula tensions

China has called on all sides of the conflict on the Korean Peninsula to work for a peaceful solution and try to ease tensions between the two Koreas.

"The most urgent task at the moment is the resumption of negotiations and all sides in the conflict must take part in this," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said, according to an interpreter, after talks with his German counterpart in Berlin on Wednesday.

"Security and stability is quite fragile and there is a great danger that a new conflict, or incidents could happen at any time. Therefore, we call all sides to be restrained and to avoid actions or words that could lead to new provocations," he added.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have significantly spiked in recent weeks. The United States, concerned by North Korea’s rapidly-developing missile and nuclear programs, has sent a strike force and submarine to the peninsula. Pyongyang has said it is ready for war. The two sides have been increasingly trading threats of military action against one another.

Amid tensions, Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will pay a visit to Russia on Thursday.

Japanese officials said Abe was expected to discuss North Korea with Russian President Vladimir Putin given the timing of the visit.

SS