The North's announcement to restart the facility came after it passed a law to consolidate the country's status as a defensive nuclear state.

 

　　The resumption of the reactor would allow the North to potentially extract plutonium from spent fuel rods for nuclear weapons production.

 

　　North Korea says the restart will help it deal with power shortages.

 

　　Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hong Lei.

 

　　"We have noticed the statement made by North Korea and feel regretful about it. China has constantly advocated denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula and maintaining peace and stability in the peninsula and northeast Asia."

 

　　Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon is pleading for calm following North Korea's announcement.

 

　　"It is also my responsibility to state that the current crisis has already gone too far. Nuclear threats are not a game. Aggressive rhetoric and military posturing only result in counter-actions, and fuel fear and instability."

 

　　Meanwhile, the US and South Korea say they remain on alert, but say they have yet to detect any unusual or aggressive movements.

 

　　Earlier, the Pentagon positioned a second guided-missile destroyer in the the waters off the Korean peninsula.

 

　　Pentagon spokesman George Little.

 

　　"On the Decatur and the McCain, they have arrived at predetermined positions in the western Pacific, where they will be poised to respond to any missile threats to our allies or our territory."

 

　　This comes after the US began introducing B-2 and F-22 stealth flights into its training programs currently being conducted with South Korea.

 

　　Tensions on the Korean Peninsula have reached new heights, after the North pronounced over the weekend that it's entered into a 'state of war' with the South.

 

　　For CRI, I'm Shen Chengcheng.