China calls for political settlement of Korean Peninsula issue: FM spokesperson

BEIJING, Nov. 18 (Xinhua) -- China hopes that all parties of the Korean Peninsula issue will stay committed to seeking a political settlement and address each other's concerns in a balanced way through meaningful dialogue, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Friday.

Spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks at a press briefing when asked to comment on reports that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea fired a suspected intercontinental ballistic missile into the waters east of the Korean Peninsula on Friday.

China is following the development on the Peninsula, Mao said, adding that maintaining peace and stability on the Peninsula while preventing the situation from deteriorating and escalating is in the common interests of the international community.

China's stand on the Peninsula issue is consistent, she added.