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President Hu Jintao told US President Barack Obama that the situation on the Korean Peninsula may spiral out of control if not handled properly, during a telephone conversation on Monday.

The conversation, the first the two leaders have had with each other since the two Koreas exchanged artillery fire last month, signaled that both China and the United States want to calm tension on the peninsula, experts said.

According to the Foreign Ministry's website, Hu told Obama: "We need an easing (of tensions), not a ratcheting up; dialogue, not confrontation; peace, not war.

"The fragile security situation on the Korean Peninsula, if not properly handled, could lead to a further escalation of tension, or even run out of control, which is not in the common interests of the parties concerned.

Stressing that the situation calls for an immediate resumption of the Six-Party Talks, Hu added: "China has always believed that dialogue and negotiations are the only right way to solve the issues and achieve lasting peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula.”

Hu told Obama that China is greatly concerned about the current tension, deeply regretting the loss of life and property in an exchange of artillery fire on Nov 23 between the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) and the Republic of Korea (ROK).

The Foreign Ministry also quoted Hu as saying that "under the current situation, it is imperative that the response is cool and rational and that we firmly prevent a deterioration of the situation".

The White House said Obama urged Beijing to work with the US and others to "send a clear message to North Korea that its provocations are unacceptable".

Tensions on the Korean Peninsula escalated on Monday as the ROK started live-fire naval exercises.

Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said the five-day drill would take place in 29 locations off the ROK, despite the DPRK's warnings that it could trigger war.

Bad weather had delayed one of the drills off an island near the disputed Yellow Sea border, which will go ahead later in the week.

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（中国日报网英语点津 Helen 编辑）

Todd Balazovic is a reporter for the Metro Section of China Daily. Born in Mineapolis Minnesota in the US, he graduated from Central Michigan University and has worked for the China Daily for one year.