China said the US attack on Iran's nuclear facilities had damaged its credibility with Washington, Reuters reported.
Beijing expressed concern that the situation "could get out of control."
President Donald Trump said the US had "destroyed" Tehran's key nuclear sites after his country joined Israel in the biggest Western military action against the Islamic republic since the 1979 revolution.
The UN Security Council met yesterday to discuss the US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities after Russia, China and Pakistan proposed that the 15-member body adopt a resolution calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in the Middle East.
China's UN ambassador Fu Cong said countries should limit the "impulse for force, avoid escalating conflicts and adding fuel to the fire."
Fu noted that countries, especially Israel, "should immediately cease fire to prevent the situation from escalating and avoid the spread of war."
Iran has suffered, "but the credibility of The United States has also been shaken - both as a country and as a participant in any international negotiations," he said.
Chinese state media reported that the US move was extremely dangerous and provocative. The Global Times newspaper said that external military intervention would never bring peace, but would only "deepen regional hatred and trauma."
Separately, China's embassy in Iran said late yesterday that most Chinese citizens in Iran had been safely evacuated and that the rest were not in high-risk areas.