China strongly urges the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to strictly abide by resolutions of the UN Security Council and refrain from exacerbating the tension on the Korean Peninsula, a Chinese envoy said on July 6.

The DPRK's latest missile launch was a serious violation of relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and was against the will of the entire international community, said Liu Jieyi, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, at a Security Council emergency meeting on the latest missile test conducted by the DPRK.

On Tuesday, the DPRK declared that it successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile.

"China finds this launching unacceptable," Liu said.

"We strongly urge the DPRK to strictly abide by the resolutions of the Security Council and put a stop to any rhetoric and action that might further exacerbate the tension on the Peninsula," Liu said.

"At the same time, we call on all the parties concerned to exercise restraint, avoid provocative actions and flagrant rhetoric, demonstrate the will for unconditional dialogue, and work actively together to defuse the tension," he added.

China and Russia issued a joint statement on July 4, urging dialogue and the China-proposed dual track approach to cool down the current confrontations on the Korean Peninsula.

"China has always insisted on realizing the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, maintaining peace and stability on the Peninsula and seeking a solution through dialogue and consultation," Liu said, stressing that "military means must not be an option in this regard."

He noted that the deployment of the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system in northeast Asia seriously undermines the strategic security interests of the regional countries including China.

"China urges the countries concerned to hold and cancel its deployment immediately," he said.

"We hope that the parties concerned will work together with China, play their due roles and show up their due responsibilities to return the issue of the Korean Peninsula to the right track of peaceful dialogue at an early date," he added.

(Xinhua News Agency July 6, 2017)