Beijing  - China has called for a cautious response from the United Nations Security Council over North Korea's rocket launch at the weekend.

"Concerning resolution 1718, the UN Security Council should act carefully," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said on Tuesday, referring to a resolution passed after North Korea's nuclear test in 2006.

Resolution 1718 demands that North Korea does "not conduct any further nuclear test or launch a ballistic missile."

"There are similarities but also differences between rocket and missile technology. Launching a satellite is different in nature from launching a missile or a nuclear test. This issue also involves a country's right to peacefully use space," Jiang said.

The foreign ministry's response suggests that China is not, at this stage, viewing the launch as a violation of the resolution, in contrast to the position of the United States and Japan.

North Korea on Sunday launched what it said was a rocket to bring a communications satellite into orbit, while the US and its neighbours South Korea and Japan believe the launch served as a cover for testing a Taepodong-2 long-range ballistic missile.(dpa)