Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi is urging all related parties to exercise restraint regarding the joint military exercises being conducted by South Korea and the U.S. as well as North Korea’s "nuclear retaliation" vow.

In a news conference in Vienna on Sunday, Yang called on the parties involved to devote themselves to fostering peace and security on the Korean Peninsula.

He said the ultimate goal is to get Pyongyang to return to the stalled six-party talks, which are aimed at denuclearizing the North.

Before the conference, Yang held talks with Austrian Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger to discuss ways to enhance Sino-EU relations.