China believes that instead of seeking sanctions against Pyongyang, the UN Security Council can best make a unanimous and firm response to DPRK's missile launch "through a presidential statement with strong messages", said Wang Guangya, Chinese Permanent Representative to the United Nations.

Besides such strong messages, the UN Security Council, as the most important world organization, should take actions responsibly by taking into account all possible negative consequences that they might lead to, said Wang.

"All actions taken by the Security Council, if we are going to take one, would be conducive to the diplomatic effort which is now underway," said the Chinese diplomat.

Earlier, Russia's UN ambassador Vitaly Churkin said Russia had "serious concerns" over DPRK's actions.

But he voiced Russia's opposition to sanctions, saying "in my mind we could consider the format of a presidential statement."

He urged all parties to be "clear-headed" and keep in mind the need for talks to achieve a diplomatic solution.

Japan presented a draft Security Council resolution on Friday that seeks sanctions against the DPRK.

The draft, co-sponsored by Britain, France and the United States, invokes Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, which authorizes sanctions or even military action.

The text of the draft said that "member states shall take those steps necessary to prevent missiles and missile-related items, materials, goods, technology being transferred, including through intermediaries, to end users in or supplying DPRK's missile and weapons of mass destruction programs."

Demanding that Pyongyang should "immediately cease the development, testing, deployment and proliferation of ballistic missiles and re-establish its preexisting commitments to moratorium on missile launching," it also calls on member states to "take those steps necessary to prevent the procurement of missiles or missile-related items, goods and technology from the DPRK."

Kenzo Oshima, Japanese Ambassador to the United Nations, said his delegation would ask for a vote on the draft on Saturday. But U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said that did not necessarily mean a vote would take place on Saturday.

Diplomats might hold off voting until next week to give more time to diplomatic efforts, observers here said.

Earlier on Thursday, the DPRK Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the latest missile launches were part of the routine military exercises staged by the DPRK army for upgrading the nation's military self-defense capacity.