All sides concerned should work together to bring the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue to the negotiation table, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on January 12.

It is imperative that dialog and negotiations are resumed to promote denuclearization of the peninsula, and to safeguard peace and stability in northeast Asia, spokesperson Hong Lei told a routine press briefing.

Hong's remarks came in response to mounting calls for tougher sanctions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) following its announcement last week that it had carried out a successful hydrogen bomb test.

The test, if confirmed, is the fourth nuclear test conducted by the DPRK. The previous three were carried out in 2006, 2009 and 2013.

China "firmly opposes" the nuclear test, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The objective of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the international nuclear non-proliferation regime should be upheld, Hong said, adding that peace and stability in the region must be maintained.

(Xinhua News Agency January 12, 2016)