A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Friday that China's position on the Iran situation is very clear, adding that there is no point in continuing a conflict which should not have happened in the first place.

The spokesperson made the remarks in response to a media inquiry about whether Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump discussed Iran during their talks on Thursday and what China's view on the current situation in the Middle East is. 

Finding an early way to resolve the situation is in the interests of not only the US and Iran, but also regional countries and the rest of the world, said the spokesperson.

The conflict has inflicted severe losses on the people in Iran and other regional countries, said the spokesperson, adding that with the spillover still expanding, the conflict has put a heavy strain on global economic growth, supply chains, international trade order and the stability of the global energy supply, which hurts the common interests of the international community. 

The recent ceasefire and efforts to resolve issues through negotiation are welcomed by regional countries and the international community, said the spokesperson, adding that China always believes that dialogue and negotiation is the right way forward, and the use of force is a dead end. Now that the door of dialogue has been opened, it should not be shut again, the spokesperson added. 

It is important to ease the situation, keep to the direction of political settlement, engage in dialogue and consultation, and reach a settlement on the Iranian nuclear issue and other issues that accommodates the concerns of all parties, said the spokesperson, who added that shipping lanes should be reopened as soon as possible to respond to the call of the international community and jointly keep global supply chains stable and unimpeded. 

The spokesperson also stressed the importance of reaching a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire as soon as possible, enabling peace and stability to return to the Middle East and Gulf region at an early date, and laying the foundation for building a sustainable security architecture for the region.

China has been working for peace and an end to the conflict since it began, said the spokesperson. 

Noting that President Xi put forward the four propositions on safeguarding and promoting peace and stability in the Middle East and China and Pakistan issued the five-point initiative for restoring peace and stability in the Gulf and Middle East region, the spokesperson said China will continue to act in line with Xi's four propositions, and work with the international community to provide stronger support for peace talks and play a constructive role in achieving lasting peace in the Middle East.