BEIJING, April 17. /TASS/. Beijing and Pyongyang continue to maintain friendly relations with each other as well as regular dialogue, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Lu Kang said at a briefing on Monday.

"China and North Korea are friendly states who continue regular contacts with each other," he said. "As for the Korean Peninsula issue, we have been closely interacting with all parties, including Pyongyang," he added when asked if tensions had risen recently between the two countries.

On Sunday, North Korea attempted a ballistic missile launch which, according to the US military, ended in a failure as the missile exploded almost immediately. The missile launch followed the celebrations of the 105th birth anniversary of the country’s founder Kim Il Sung. A massive military parade took place in Pyongyang, during which, as analysts say, a submarine-launched ballistic missile was displayed for the first time.