China calls for an immediate halt to military actions in the Middle East to prevent further escalation and expansion of the conflict, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said today at a press conference on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People's Congress (the country's parliament), as quoted by the state news agency Xinhua.
Problems cannot be solved by force and the use of weapons only breeds new hatred, he said.
On the other hand, Wang noted that Sino-Russian relations remain "rock-solid" despite the "storms and torrents" they have been subjected to.
According to him, China always puts its neighboring countries first on the diplomatic agenda.
"A neighbor helps a neighbor and building a friendly neighborly relationship is part of China's traditions and culture," the Chinese top diplomat emphasized, Xinhua noted.
"Beijing has always been a pillar of regional security, an engine of development and prosperity, and an advocate of the common values of Asian countries," he said.
Regarding US President Donald Trump's visit to China at the end of this month, Wang Yi said that "it is of strategic importance for the United States to work in the same direction with China," Reuters reported.