China says 'no point in continuing' Iran war as Xi hosts Trump

China said Friday that there was "no point in continuing" the Iran war as Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted his US counterpart Donald Trump on the final day of their Beijing summit.

"There is no point in continuing this conflict, which should not have happened in the first place," said a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson in response to a question on whether the two sides discussed Iran and about Beijing’s position on the war.

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

As the door to dialogue has now been opened, "it should not be shut again," the spokesperson said, urging efforts to maintain momentum toward de-escalation and pursue a political settlement, as well as dialogue and consultation to reach an agreement on the Iranian nuclear issue and other concerns.

The spokesperson also stressed the importance of reopening shipping lanes "as soon as possible to respond to the call of the international community and jointly keep the global supply chains stable and unimpeded."

"It is important to reach a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire as soon as possible, enable peace and stability to return to the Middle East and Gulf region at an early date, and lay the foundation for building a sustainable security architecture for the region," the spokesperson added.

Trump said Thursday in an interview with FOX News that Xi "would like to see a deal made."

"He said, 'If I can be of any help at all, I would like to be of help.' Anybody that buys that much oil has obviously got some kind of relationship, but he'd like to see the Hormuz Strait open," Trump added.

Trump's visit to China comes amid the ongoing Middle East conflict, triggered after US and Israeli forces launched strikes against Iran on Feb. 28, prompting retaliation against Israel and US allies in the Gulf along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

An indefinite ceasefire is currently in effect.