Sharjah24 - AFP: China urged the United States to play "a constructive role" in the Middle East on Friday after its top diplomat Wang Yi spoke with his US counterpart Antony Blinken over the phone.

"China will continue to play a constructive role in the resolution of the Middle East issue... and contribute to cooling down the situation. The United States side in particular should play a constructive role," China's foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said when discussing the contents of the call at a regular presser.