China on Monday urged the US and North Korea to meet and resolve their problems, as top Chinese and South Korean diplomats hold discussions in Seoul on Tuesday on tensions in the Korean Peninsula.

"The focus of the nuclear issue on the peninsula is between the US and North Korea," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a daily news briefing.

"We urge the US and North Korea to sit down and negotiate to explore ways of resolving each other's reasonable concerns, and to finally achieve the goal we all want."

North Korea launched a long-range rocket on February 7 carrying what it called a satellite, drawing renewed international condemnation just weeks after it carried out a nuclear bomb test.

It said the launch was for peaceful purposes, but Seoul and Washington have said it violated UN Security Council resolutions because it used ballistic missile technology.

North Korea's nuclear bomb test last month was also banned by a UN resolution.

China, while frustrated with North Korea, said it does not believe sanctions are the way to resolve the problem and has urged a return to talks.

Numerous efforts to restart multilateral talks have failed since negotiations collapsed following the last round in 2008.

Meanwhile, Chinese and South Korean officials are set to discuss the current situation in the Korean Peninsula in Seoul on Tuesday.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui and South Korean First Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam are scheduled to co-chair the seventh high-level strategic dialogue scheduled on Tuesday in Seoul, said Hong.

The two sides are expected to exchange views on bilateral relations, the current situation in the Korean Peninsula and other issues of mutual concern.

South Korea last week suspended operations at the Kaesong industrial zone, as punishment for the rocket launch and nuclear test.

On Thursday, Pyongyang called the action "a declaration of war" and expelled the South's workers. Kaesong, which had operated for more than a decade, was the last venue for regular interaction between the two Koreas.

Asked about the zone's shutdown, Chinese spokesman Hong said the peninsula was in a "complex and sensitive" phase.

"We hope all sides can take steps to ameliorate the tense situation," he said.

The sixth high-level strategic dialogue was held on June 3, 2013 in Beijing.