Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told Hong Kong-based media Friday that special envoy Wu Dawei called for North Korea to avoid escalating tensions with a planned rocket launch.

Wang also repeated that all relevant parties should work together to resume talks on North Korea's nuclear issue, according to his interview aired by Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV during his visit to London.

China's chief nuclear envoy Wu wrapped up a three-day visit to North Korea on Thursday, as North Korea notified U.N. agencies that it would launch a long-range rocket this month, widely seen as a cover for a test of its ballistic missile technology.

North Korea's announcement of its planned rocket launch is widely seen as another slap in the face to China because it was announced on the same day that Wu left for Pyongyang, Tuesday.

Wu conveyed China's stance to the North Korean side that "We don't want any escalations of tensions" with the planned rocket launch, according to remarks by Wang.

During the brief interview footage, Wang did not say how the North Korean side responded.

However, Wang said, "We hope all parties concerned could meet each other halfway and make joint efforts to bring the North Korean nuclear issue back on the track of negotiations."

Weeks after the latest nuclear test on Jan. 6, North Korea notified U.N. agencies on Tuesday of its plan to launch a long-range rocket carrying what it calls an "earth observation satellite" sometime between Feb. 8 and 25.

Such launches have been viewed by the international community as disguised ballistic missile tests and North Korea is banned from conducting them under U.N. resolutions. (Yonhap)