The US Assistant Secretary of State, Christopher Hill, will visit China on Friday to discuss Wednesday's test-firing of missiles by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said in Beijing Thursday.

China's Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei and Hill will exchange views on how to promote the six party talks under current situation, Jiang said.

China is willing to negotiate with the United States on maintaining peace and stability in northeast Asia, she said.

Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing on Wednesday discussed the situation with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in a phone conversation. "The two sides have exchanged views on the missile test-firing by the DPRK," she said.

They also agreed to keep in contact with each other on this issue, Jiang said.

Li also talked by phone with Japanese Foreign Minister Aso Taro, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade of the Republic of Korea Ban Ki-Moon and Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer.

The official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported Thursday that a spokesman for the DPRK Foreign Ministry confirmed that the DPRK had test-fired the missiles.