China calls for cautious approach on Korean Peninsula

China called for a cautious approach in addressing the Korean Peninsula issue, after the US administration approved new sanctions against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

US President Barack Obama signed into law a bill on Thursday that "strengthens and expands statutory sanctions" on the DPRK, the White House said in a statement.

Tensions over the peninsula have been growing as the US and the Republic of Korea seek strong counter-measures against the DPRK after it conducted a nuclear test in January and a rocket launch in February.

"China believes it's impossible to solve any hotspot issues through simply imposing sanctions or pressure," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said on Friday.

"Any behavior that harms the interests of a third party won't help address the issues, but only further complicate the situation," Hong said. He said all relevant parties should stay calm and refrain from actions that escalate tensions in the peninsula.

"We hope relevant parties will act cautiously, and not cause troubles artificially," he said.