BEIJING. Nov 29 (Interfax) - China objects to any actions which may escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula, State Councilor of the Chinese State Council Dai Bingguo told U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton by phone on Sunday night.
"China is extremely concerned about the situation on the Korean Peninsula. It [China] thinks that the alleviation of tensions is the primary goal and opposes any actions which may cause further escalation of tensions," Chinese official editions quoted Dai as saying.
It is necessary that "China and the United States play a constructive role, alleviate tensions with joint efforts and ensure peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula," he said.
"Preservation of peace and stability on the Peninsula is the core of every Chinese action. All the interested sides must ensure the resumption of the [six-party] negotiations [on the Korean nuclear problem] and resolve any problems through the dialog," he said.
In turn, Clinton said that preservation of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula met common interests of the United States and China and bilateral cooperation was a must.
She expressed U.S. readiness to take joint actions and to maintain close contacts with China.
The situation on the Korean Peninsula exacerbated after the artillery shelling of the South Korean Island of Yeonpyeong by North Korea on November 23, which killed four.
The six-party talks between North Korea, South Korea, China, Russia, the United States and Japan were disrupted in 2009 when Pyongyang withdrew after the UN Security Council condemned a North Korean ballistic missile test launch.