Beijing urged Pyongyang to exercise restraint after its announcement of plans to launch a satellite later this month, and experts said the announcement provided an excuse for the US and Japan to escalate their military presence in Northeast Asia, which would harm regional peace.

China is seriously concerned about a plan by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to launch the satellite, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang told a media briefing on Wednesday. Beijing hopes Pyongyang will act prudently to avoid escalating tensions, he added.

The DPRK is entitled to peaceful use of outer space, but this right is restricted by resolutions of the United Nations Security Council, Lu said.

Lu was referring to UN Security Council Resolution 1718, adopted in 2006, which ordered the DPRK to give up testing nuclear and ballistic missile technology.

However, Pyongyang has ignored the UN resolution several times since 2006 and conducted its fourth nuclear test on Jan 6, causing other countries to work on new sanctions to help control the situation.

Asked whether the announcement was a slap in the face to Beijing, Lu hinted it was for Washington.

"In response to some countries' outcry for pressure and sanctions, the DPRK conducted one nuclear test after another," he said.

"In this sense, the DPRK did slap some country across the face. As for whose face the DPRK did slap, I think the country itself knows well."

Meanwhile, Washington sharply criticized Pyongyang's announcement on Wednesday, describing the move as a "destabilizing provocation".

Defense Secretary Ash Carter said China and the DPRK were among the challenges that prompted seeking a $582.7 billion defense budget for 2017.

At the same time, Japan put its military on alert on Wednesday to shoot down any DPRK rocket that threatens it, while Seoul warned Pyongyang it would pay a "severe price" if it goes ahead with a satellite launch.

Huang Youfu, a Korean studies professor at Minzu University of China, said the DPRK is taking this dangerous step only to force the US to talk with it.

"The DPRK expressed its willingness to hold talks with the US after it conducted its fourth nuclear test, but received nothing," Huang said. "So they went further to push the US but maybe only resulted in making the situation even worse."

"Now the US and Japan are taking that as an excuse to strengthen their military presence in Northeast Asia," Huang added.

Contact the writerthrough wangxu@chinadaily.com.cn.