BEIJING - China is "seriously concerned" about a plan of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to launch a satellite later this month, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Spokesperson Lu Kang told a press briefing that Beijing hopes Pyongyang to exercise restraint on the issue and deal with it prudently so as to avoid possible escalating tensions.

Three United Nations organizations have been informed of the plan of the DPRK to launch an earth-observation satellite between Feb. 8 and 25, a UN spokesperson said on Tuesday.