China has reiterated its emphasis on dialogue and negotiations after North Korea ramped up its provocations with the launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) over Japan. 

Yonhap News on Tuesday quoted the office of the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson as saying that Beijing maintains that relevant parties should stick to working towards a political resolution of Korean Peninsula-related issues, and address concerns in a balanced way through dialogue and negotiation.  

The Chinese response to the latest North Korean launch is somewhat different from its previous statements following the North’s launch of short-range ballistic missiles on September 1 and last Saturday, in which it cited “the lack of due responses” to Pyongyang’s “just and reasonable” concerns. 

Tuesday's IRBM test fire was the first since January 30, and was the first IRBM that passed through Japan’s airspace since September of 2017. 

The national security advisors of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan held phone talks following the North’s latest provocation, denouncing it as a flagrant violation of UN Security Council resolutions and reaffirming the principle of a stern response.