After proposing urgent consultations among key nations to defuse the crisis in Korean Peninsula, China on Monday sought the help of US to facilitate dialogue to ease tensions.

Top Chinese diplomat and Chinese State Councillor Dai Bingguo called up US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over phone and said that China and the US should help ease the tensions over the Korean Peninsula and facilitate dialogues.

Dai, who returned from capital Seoul on Saunday after holding talks with the South Korean President Lee Myung-bak briefed Clinton about the recent development in the Korean Peninsula and told her that that China is deeply concerned with the changing dynamics in the area.

Beijing holds that the immediate priority is to try to calm the current situation and reject any move that might escalate tensions, official media quoted him as saying.

At the critical moment, Dai said, China and US should actively play a constructive role and take concerted efforts to mitigate the situation as soon as possible and safeguard peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula.

The starting point of all Chinese efforts is to maintain the peninsula’s peace and stability, he said, adding that all relevant parties should make joint efforts to secure an early resumption of negotiations and seek solutions via dialogues.

Clinton, for her part, said that Washington and Beijing share common interests in maintaining the Korean Peninsula’s stability and that cooperation is of pivotal significance.

The United States is willing to work together with China to keep peace and stability of the Korean Peninsula, Clinton added.

The two sides also agreed to maintain close contact on the issue.

Crisis escalated in the Korean peninsula after North Korea fired artillery shells on South Korean island in which four people were killed.

The incident came as South Korea geared up to hold fifth round of naval exercises along with its close ally US.

China which is the close ally of North Korea on Sunday called for consultations among the six nations, US, China, South Korea, North Korea, Japan and Russia which came together in 2005 to hold talks prevail on Pyongyang to give up nuclear weapons programme.

China wants to revive the six party talks to defuse tensions and called for urgent consultations between these parties yesterday saying that the consultations need not necessarily mean resumption of talks to which South Korea was opposed to.

Seoul, which cautiously reacted to Chinese proposal on Sunday was averse to resumption of the six party after the sinking of its naval ship allegedly by North Korea early this year.