CHINA said it will safeguard the legitimate rights and safety of its citizens and businesses in North Korea.

    “As far as I know, the Chinese Embassy in the DPRK is still under normal operation,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said yesterday.

    Staff at embassies in North Korea appeared to be remaining in place Saturday despite an appeal by authorities in Pyongyang for diplomats to consider leaving because of heightened tensions after weeks of bellicose exchanges.

    North Korean authorities told diplomatic missions they could not guarantee their safety starting Wednesday, after declaring that conflict was inevitable amid joint U.S.-South Korea military exercises due to last until the end of the month.

    Most countries saw the appeal to the missions as little more than strident rhetoric after weeks of threatening to launch a nuclear strike on the United States and declarations of war against the South.

    But Russia said it was “seriously studying” the request.

    The United Nations said its humanitarian workers remained active across North Korea.

    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi repeated calls for dialogue to resolve the tensions in a phone call with U.N. chief Ban Ki-moon.

    “We oppose provocative words and actions from any party in the region and do not allow troublemaking on China’s doorstep,” Wang said.

    The Pentagon has delayed an intercontinental ballistic missile test in California, planned for next week, to avoid misperceptions due to the rising tensions.(Xinhua)