China has expressed regret over the casualties and damage resulting from North Korea’s artillery attack on South Korea’s Yeonpyeong Island in the Yellow Sea on Tuesday.

According to Xinhua News, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei expressed concerns about the current situation on the Korean Peninsula in a statement Wednesday night.

He urged both South and North Korea to remain calm and to refrain from escalating the situation. Hong also called on the two Koreas to meet as soon as possible to discuss the incident.

He said that China opposes any actions that could compromise peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.