China firmly opposes DPRK's nuclear test

China"firmly"opposesthelatestnucleartestconductedbytheDemocraticPeople'sRepublicofKorea(DPRK),accordingtoastatementonWednesdayfromtheChineseForeignMinistry.

TheministrymadethestatementaftertheDPRKannouncedWednesdaythatithassuccessfullycarriedoutitsfirsthydrogenbombtest.

"ChinaissteadfastinitspositionthattheKoreanPeninsulashouldbedenuclearizedandnuclearproliferationshouldbepreventedtomaintainpeaceandstabilityinNortheastAsia,"ForeignMinistryspokespersonHuaChunyingannouncedatapressbriefing.

"WestronglyurgetheDPRKtohonoritscommitmenttodenuclearization,andtoceaseanyactionthatmaydeterioratethesituation,"Huasaid.

PeaceandstabilityontheKoreanPeninsulaandinNortheastAsiameetthecommoninterestsofallconcerned,Huasaid,quotingthestatement.

ChinaisdeterminedtoadvancedenuclearizationontheKoreanPeninsulaandsettlethenuclearissuethroughsix-partytalks,shesaid.

"ThefirstH-bombtestwassuccessfullyconductedintheDPRKat10:00onWednesday,"theDPRK'sstatemediaKCNAsaid.

HuasaidthatBeijingdidnothaveadvanceknowledgeofthetest.ShesaidChinawouldworkwiththeinternationalcommunityonthedecentralizationoftheKoreanpeninsula.

ChinaplanstosummonDPRK'sambassadorinBeijingtotheForeignMinistrytolodgeastrongprotest,Huasaid.ChinamadeasimilarprotestaftertheDPRK'slastnucleartestin2013.

China'sEnvironmentalProtectionMinistryisevaluatingtheimpactofthetestandanalyzingtheradiationdatacollectedalongtheborder.ItwilltakeallnecessarymeasurestoprotectChinesepeople'slivesandpropertysafety,Huasaid.

"Theradiationlevelisnormalsofar,"Huasaid.

Huasaid"expertsaresteppingupanalysis,"whenaskedifChinaisabletoconfirmwhetheritwasahydrogenbomb.

LateronWednesdayevening,ForeignMinisterWangYisaidChinais"firmlycommittedtoupholdingtheinternationalnuclearnon-proliferationregime,"whileaddressingtheministry'sannualNewYearReceptionforforeigndiplomatsandrepresentativesofinternationalorganizations.

"WithrespecttoyetanothernucleartestconductedbytheDPRKtodayindisregardofinternationalopposition,theChinesegovernmenthasmadeitssternpositionclearinitsForeignMinistrystatement,"Wangadded.

TheDPRK'spreviousnucleartestsoccurredin2006,2009and2013.