Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed the tense situation around North Korea with US President Donald Trump over the phone, urging the “relevant side” to exercise restraint, state TV said.

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The Chinese leader told his US counterpart that the crisis needs a peaceful resolution and it is in the joint interests of China and the United States to maintain peace on the Korean Peninsula.

“The relevant side must at present exercise restraint, and avoid words and actions that exacerbate tensions on the Korean Peninsula,” Chinese state media said, Reuters reported.

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The conversation took place after a series of threats made by Trump to the North Korean leadership, which in turn promised to target the vicinity of Guam in its next missile test. Japan said it would take down the missiles if such a launch through its airspace took place, while Trump warned that the US has military solutions “locked and loaded.”

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“If North Korea launches missiles that threaten US soil first and the US retaliates, China will stay neutral,” the Global Times [ published by the Communist Party’s official People’s Daily ] wrote.

But should the US and its allies attempt to “overthrow the North Korean regime and change the political pattern of the Korean Peninsula,” Beijing would “prevent them from doing so,” it said.

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