The US House of Representatives on Wednesday sharply condemned North Korea for last week's deadly artillery bombardment and pushed China to "restrain" its ally from further strikes on South Korea.

Lawmakers voted 403-2 in favor of a symbolic resolution that "condemns North Korea in the strongest terms for its unprovoked military attack against South Korea" in violation of the 1953 armistice that halted their hostilities.

The measure, crafted by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Howard Berman, a Democrat, also "calls for North Korea to renounce further acts of aggression and abide by the terms" of that agreement."

The resolution also "calls on China to restrain North Korea, its treaty ally, from further acts of belligerence and to work constructively with the international community to promote regional stability."

It also expresses strong support for South Korea and its people, and demands the North "immediately cease" all uranium enrichment and "take concrete steps to dismantle" nuclear facilities that could be used in a weapons program.

The North says its November 23 attack, which killed two civilians and two soldiers on Yeonpyeong island, was in retaliation for South Korean shells landing in its waters during a military drill earlier that day.

Seoul insists the North's attack was carefully planned and premeditated to rally support for North Korean leader Kim Jong-Il's heir apparent, his youngest son.