Beijing - China called for calm Sunday after North Korea's test-launch of seven missiles off its east coast the previous day. "China has taken note of the situation and hopes that all parties exercise restraint and remain calm, and jointly maintain peace and stability in the region," Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said in an online statement released Sunday.
China previously called for a "cool-headed" approach to the actions of its renegade neighbour, fearing that further instability or the collapse of the regime could bring waves of refugees flooding across the border.
However, Beijing appeared to toughen its stance last month when it voted alongside other members of the UN Security Council to impose new financial, military and trade sanctions on North Korea.
