China on Thursday called on relevant parties to promote peace talks and de-escalate Russia-Ukraine tensions.

The spokesperson of Ministry of Commerce, Shu Jueting, made the remark when asked about U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's discussion about capping the price of Russian oil during a video call with Chinese Vice Premier Liu He earlier this month.

"This issue is very complicated," said Shu, adding that peace talks and de-escalating tensions serve the different parties' interests.

Oil prices have been surging due to curbs on Russian oil imports. Bloomberg last week reported that the U.S. and its allies were considering a cap on the price of Russian oil of between $40 and $60 a barrel.

(Cover: Ministry of Commerce in Beijing, China. /CFP)