Beijing, July 6 (RHC)-- China has warned against any rhetoric and action that could further escalate tensions on the Korean Peninsula, just days after Pyongyang test-fired its first ever intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). 

“We also call on relevant parties to stay calm, exercise restraint, refrain from words and deeds that may heighten tensions, and jointly make effort for the easing of tensions,” said China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang in a press conference on Thursday. 

North Korea announced on Tuesday that it had successfully tested the ICBM, with the North’s leader Kim Jong-un calling it a gift to Washington on July 4th, Independence Day in the United States. 

Shuang’s comments came after U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson strongly condemned the launch and described it as a new escalation of the “threat” to Washington, its allies, the region, and the whole world. 

On Wednesday, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley also told the UN Security Council that her country was prepared to exert force if needed to deal with the perceived threat posed by North Korea and singled out China as key to any diplomatic solution.