China on Sunday expressed deep worries over the current situation on the Korean Peninsula and called on the parties concerned to exercise maximum restraint and return to the negotiating table at an early date, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations Wang Min said.

Wang made the statement while speaking at a closed-door consultations on the rising tensions on the Korean Peninsula by the 15 members of the UN Security Council, Liu Yutong, spokesman for the Chinese Permanent Mission to the UN, told Xinhua.

The Security Council met for an emergency meeting on Sunday at around 11 a.m. that lasted about eight and a half hours.

China had repeatedly told the relevant parties that if blood was shed on the Korean Peninsula, the peoples on the two sides of the Peninsula would be the first to suffer, Wang told the Security Council, adding that bloodshed and conflict would lead to a national tragedy of fratricide among compatriots and brothers of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Republic of Korea (ROK), harm regional peace and stability and affect neighboring countries.

China has made unremitting efforts with the DPRK, South Korea and other parties through various channels to avoid an escalation of the situation, he said.

Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo made urgent visits to the ROK and the DPRK at the end of last month and early this month respectively.

During his candid and thorough talks with leaders of the two countries, Dai had urged the two sides to maintain calm and show restraint, conduct talks and engagement, and avoid any activity that could worsen the situation, Wang told the Security Council, adding that the Chinese Foreign Ministry had urgently summoned DPRK and ROK ambassadors to China recently, and reiterated China's stance and proposals.

People from the DPRK and the ROK and the international community strongly want to avoid escalation, and wish for dialogue rather than confrontation, and peace rather than war, Wang said.

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula should not be escalated, he noted.

"China is firmly against any act that can lead to the escalation of tensions and undermines regional peace and stability," Wang said.

China strongly urged the two sides on the Korean Peninsula to exercise maximum restraint, avoid armed conflict, place the safety of more than 70 million fellow citizens above everything else and attach utmost importance to the maintenance of regional peace and stability, he said.

China hopes all parties will adopt a responsible attitude and resolve issues through peaceful means, he added.

The situation highlights the necessity and urgency of holding emergency consultations among the heads of the six-party delegations, he said.

"Once again, China calls on all the parties concerned to return to the right track of dialogue and negotiations at an early date," he said.