China believes the Korean Peninsula issue should be resolved through negotiations and does not want to see the situation escalate, a military spokesman said Thursday. Geng Yansheng, spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, made the remarks at a press briefing in response to media reports stating that the Republic of Korea (ROK) is planning to increase its defense budget and develop ballistic missiles with a range of 800 km. China hopes relevant parties will make substantial efforts to relieve tension on the peninsula, Geng said.