Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu takes a question at a press briefing in Beijing, July 6, 2006. [Xinhua]

China Thursday warned against any move to raise tension on the Korean Peninsula after introducing a joint UN resolution with Russia on Pyongyang's missile tests.

"Under current circumstances, China supports a prudent and proper reaction from the UN Security Council so as to prevent the escalation of tension and create conditions for diplomatic efforts," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told a regular press briefing in Beijing.

China and Russia introduced a draft UN Security Council resolution on Wednesday, calling for the early resumption of the Six-Party Talks on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.

Japan, which earlier introduced a tough draft resolution backed by the United States, Britain and France, welcomed the new draft.

No vote has been scheduled on either draft after China said it would veto the Japanese document in its present form. A high-level Chinese delegation is in talks with officials in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) after the launch of seven missiles last week.

Foreign Affairs Ministers from China, Zhang Yesui, Germany, Franck Walter Steinmeier, Russia, Serguei Lavrov, France, Philippe Douste Blazy, US Secretary of State Condelezza Rice, Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Secretary Margaret Rice and Javier Solana (L to R) speak with journalist after a meeting in Paris, July 12, 2006. [Reuters]

Compared to the Japanese draft, the Chinese-Russian version does not propose sanctions or invoke Chapter Seven of the UN charter, which can authorize sanctions or even military action.

Jiang said the draft showed the two permanent members are taking steps to ease the tensions.

China holds that UN action should be conducive to maintaining peace and stability in Northeast Asia, promoting the resumption of the six-nation talks and safeguarding unity in the Security Council, she said.

"We oppose the Japanese draft which cannot help realize these goals," she said.

"We hope all parties can make positive efforts in the same direction rather than aggravate contradictions and complicate the situation."

The Chinese-Russian draft strongly deplores the multiple missile launches by the DPRK, and calls for a suspension of such tests.

It also calls on all member states to exercise vigilance in preventing supply of items, materials, goods and technologies the could contribute to the DPRK's missile programme.

The draft strongly urges the DPRK to return immediately to the Six-Party Talks without precondition.

Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters at the UN headquarters in New York that the new text forms the basis for the Security Council to send a unified, strong signal to the DPRK.

"It is also good support for ongoing diplomatic efforts to resolve the situation," Churkin said. "I don't want to sound too optimistic but I think there is room for a successful outcome of this process."

Echoing Churkin's remarks, his Chinese counterpart Wang Guangya said the Chinese-Russian proposal will calm the situation.

"If that (Japanese) draft is put to a vote without any modifications, the instructions to me are to veto it," he told reporters, the first time he has announced such an intention.

US Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill, Washington's nuclear envoy, said in Beijing yesterday that Washington is likely to give Chinese diplomatic efforts a few more days. "My sense is we're down to a number of days," he told reporters.

Hill said that China has so far failed to make headway in its campaign to bring Pyongyang back to the nuclear talks but Jiang defended Beijing's efforts, appealing for action by other governments.

"The effort of China alone is not enough," she said. "We hope all parties concerned can take positive actions and push forward the situation in a positive direction."