China urges peace, talk after North Korea shells South

China expressed concern about reports that North Korea had shelled a South Korean island on Tuesday in the latest escalation of tensions between the two sides of the Korean peninsula.

A spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Hong Lei, also told a news conference that both sides of the Korean peninsula should "do more to contribute to peace", and said it was imperative to return to six-party talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear weapons program. (Reuters)