BEIJING (REUTERS) - China is dedicated to maintaining peace and stability on the Korean peninsula, Chinese President Xi Jinping told South Korea's president on Friday, China's Foreign Ministry said.

"We hope all sides can act bearing in mind the broader picture of maintaining peace and stability on the peninsula, and calmly deal with the present situation," Xi said.

North Korea has notified UN agencies that it will launch a rocket carrying what it called an earth observation satellite some time between Feb 8 and Feb 25, triggering international opposition from some governments that see it as a long-range missile test.