West Asia war: China seeks conditions for peace talks

BEIJING: China on Thursday urged parties in the West Asia war to "create conditions for starting truly meaningful and sincere peace talks".

"The pressing priority is to actively promote peace talks, seize the opportunity of peace and promote the cessation of the war," Lin Jian, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, said at a regular briefing when asked if China was aware of any ongoing negotiations between Iran and the US.

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His remarks come after China's foreign minister Wang Yi said on Wednesday that he saw "a glimmer of hope for peace" in the wake of signals about negotiations between the US and Iran.

Earlier in the week, Iran denied that it had engaged in negotiations with the US, after President Donald Trump delayed a threat to bomb Iran's power grid citing what he described as productive talks with unidentified Iranian officials.

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China's foreign ministry did not disclose if it was aware of any negotiations between Washington and Tehran, but Wang expressed cautious optimism in a phone call with his Egyptian counterpart on Wednesday.

"The situation in the Middle East (West Asia) is changing rapidly, with both the US and Iran releasing signals about negotiations," Wang said. "As long as talks begin, there is hope for peace," Wang added.