MOSCOW, December 3 (RIA Novosti) - China has voiced its concern over North Korea’s announced plan to launch a carrier rocket with a satellite later this month, Xinhua news agency reported citing a Foreign Ministry official.

Qin Gang, a spokesman for the ministry, said North Korea has its right to develop its peaceful national space program, but all actions in this direction should be exercised within the frames of the UN Security Council resolutions.

The diplomat also said he hoped that “all parties concerned can act in a way that is more conducive to the peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula and can exercise calmness so as to avoid further escalation of the situation.”

North Korea’s KCNA news agency earlier reported that the second version of Kwangmyongsong-3 satellite will be launched by the Unha-3 carrier rocket from the Sohae Space Center between December 10 and 22.

The United States called North Korea’s plans to launch the rocket as “provocative” saying that they “threaten peace and security in the region.”

After the failed April 13 launch on the Unha-3 rocket, which the North said would put a satellite into orbit, Washington suspended its food aid to North Korea. Pyongyang ignored calls to cancel the launch, which the United States claimed was cover for a ballistic missile test banned under UN resolutions.