Beijing, China - China said Thursday it "welcomes" the news that the US and Iran have signed a deal to end the Middle East war, urging both sides to continue their cooperation in a second round of negotiations.
US President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart signed the deal on Wednesday, with a ceremony set for Friday in Switzerland that will mark the start of a 60-day negotiation period.
Under the agreement, fighting would be halted on all fronts, including in Lebanon.
"China welcomes this development and hopes that all relevant parties – including the US and Iran – will uphold the spirit of their agreement and earnestly honor their commitments," foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian told a regular news conference.
He also urged Washington and Tehran to "meet each other halfway" in the next stage of talks and to maintain a rational attitude.
While violence has decreased in Lebanon following the announcement of the deal, Israeli strikes on the south have killed at least five people since then, according to Lebanese state media, which also reported Israeli raids on south Lebanon on Wednesday.
Asked about the Israeli strikes on Thursday, China urged "all relevant parties, including Israel" to "conform to the overall situation of regional peace and stability."
All parties should "do more things that are conducive to the implementation" of the first phase of the deal and the advancement of the second phase of negotiations, "rather than the opposite," spokesperson Lin said.
Israel has killed at least 3,884 people in Lebanon since March 2, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health, while another 11,856 people have been wounded.