China opposes military strikes against Iran that violate international law and has called on relevant parties to immediately stop hostilities and return to dialogue and negotiation, a defense spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Speaking at a regular press briefing, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Jiang Bin said the military strikes launched by the United States and Israel against Iran without authorization from the United Nations Security Council seriously violate international law and the basic norms governing international relations.

China firmly opposes actions that infringe upon the sovereignty and security of other countries, as well as the abuse of force or the law of the jungle, Jiang said.

He noted that China is deeply concerned about the protracted conflict and its spillover into neighboring countries, warning that the continuation or escalation of hostilities would only push the Middle East toward a dangerous abyss and bring greater suffering to people across the region.

"It is our consistent position that resorting to force is not the right solution to international disputes," Jiang said, adding that "the continuation and escalation of hostilities produces no winner, and will only push the Middle East into a dangerous abyss, inflicting greater suffering on the peoples of the region."

The priority now is for all relevant parties to immediately stop military operations, return to dialogue and negotiations, and jointly safeguard peace and stability in the Middle East and beyond, he added.

In response to a separate question about reports that the U.S. military seeks unrestricted access to artificial intelligence (AI) technologies developed by American technology companies and has widely used AI tools in military operations against Venezuela and Iran, Jiang expressed concern over the ethical implications of such practices.

Unrestricted military use of artificial intelligence, including using AI to infringe on other countries' sovereignty or allowing algorithms to exert excessive influence over wartime decision-making, could erode ethical constraints and accountability in warfare, Jiang said.

He warned that allowing algorithms to determine matters of life and death could also create the risk of technological runaway, adding that dystopian scenarios depicted in "The Terminator" could one day become reality.

China advocates a people-centered approach and the principle of AI for good, Jiang said, stressing that human primacy must be maintained in military applications of AI and that all relevant weapon systems should remain under human control.

China opposes attempts to leverage advantages in AI and other emerging technologies to pursue absolute military dominance or undermine the sovereignty and territorial integrity of other countries, he added.

Jiang also said China stands ready to work with other countries to advance multilateral governance of AI with the United Nations at its core, strengthen risk prevention and control, and ensure that the development of AI contributes to the progress of human civilization.