China rebuffed on Friday a US claim that Beijing's approach to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea has failed, saying the key to solving the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue does not lie with China.

"The cause and crux of the Korean Peninsula issue does not lie with China, nor does the key to solving the issue," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a news briefing.

Still, Hua said China will seek a solution, calling for joint efforts by all sides under the framework of the Six-Party Talks. The talks, which brought together the DPRK, the Republic of Korea, the United States, China, Japan and Russia, stalled in December 2008.