US Secretary of State John Kerry and Wang met in Beijing last week to discuss the Korean Peninsula issue. The meeting went on for much longer than originally planned.

The two sides agreed on the need for a new UN Security Council resolution against the DPRK. The US wanted stiffer sanctions, but Beijing said that the aim of the sanctions should not be to further raise tensions but to lead the DPRK back to the negotiating table.

"China has done its utmost, and now it depends on whether the DPRK will follow China's suggestions," said Shi Yuanhua, head of the Center for Relations between China and Neighboring Countries at Fudan University in Shanghai.

Shi said he did not foresee Pyongyang canceling the rocket launch plan.

"The launch is a show of strength by Pyongyang to Washington," Shi said, adding the launch would be canceled only if the US changed its tough stance.

Wang also said on Thursday when speaking at the Supporting Syria and the Region conference in London that China would donate 10,000 tons of food to help ease the food shortages among Syrian refugees.

He said he had changed his schedule in Africa to fly to London especially for the meeting.