Chinese State Councillor Dai Bingguosaid on November 28 that China and the United States should help toease the tension on the Korean Peninsula and facilitate dialogues.

In a phone conversation with US Secretary ofState Hillary Clinton about the recent developments on the KoreanPeninsula , Dai said that China is deeply concerned with the dynamicsin the area and that the immediate priority is to calm the currentsituation and reject any move that might escalate the tensions,according to China ’s Xinhua News Agency.

Chinaand the United States should play a constructive role and make aconcerted effort to mitigate the situation as soon as possible andsafeguard peace and stability in the Korean Peninsula , saidDai.

The starting point of all Chinese efforts is tomaintain peace and stability on the peninsula, he said, adding that allthe relevant parties should make a joint effort to secure an earlyresumption of the negotiations and seek a solution via talks.

Clinton said that Washington and Beijing share a commoninterest in maintaining the Korean Peninsula 's stability and thatcooperation is of pivotal significance. Both parties agreed to maintainclose contact on the issue, she added.

Later thesame day, a spokesperson for the US Department of State said that theUnited States will consult with the Republic of Korea (RoK) and Japanabout China’s proposal to immediately resume the six-party talks on thenuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula.

Meanwhile,the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mike Mullen, said in aninterview with CNN that the United States is focusing on containingthe situation in the Korean Peninsula , as the US and the RoKlaunched joint naval exercises in waters west of the divided peninsulaearlier in the day.

Mullen said the RoK and theUnited States are focusing on restraint and not letting the situationget out of control. "The South Koreans, so far, have responded thatway," he told CNN. "Nobody wants this thing to turn into a conflict."

On November 29, RoK President Lee Myung-bak said thatthe Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) will pay acorresponding price for any further provocations.

Ina nationally televised speech, Lee also called for national unificationand drastic reforms to bolster national defense.

Anexchange of artillery fire between the DPRK and the RoK last weekkilled four people, arousing the concerns of the internationalcommunity./.