| Russia and China have issued a joint call for calm, hours after North Korea test-fired a series of missiles. Seven Scud-type ballistic missiles with a range of about 500km were fired, in an apparent act of defiance on 4 July, US Independence Day. Russia and China urged Pyongyang to return to talks, while a US official called the launches "not helpful". North Korea is banned from all ballistic missile-related activities under UN sanctions. The sanctions were strengthened after the communist nation carried out a second underground nuclear test in May. North Korea has launched a number of missiles in recent days. The latest launches came from a base on its east coast. The missiles fell into the Sea of Japan, known in South Korea as the East Sea. Both South Korea and Japan called the launches an "act of provocation". But Russia and China called on all parties to show restraint and avoid actions which could further destabilise the situation, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
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