US will work with China to stop conflict from spreading: Blinken

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has told the UN security council that he will work with China's foreign minister Wang Yi to ensure the Israel-Gaza war doesn't escalate into a wider conflict.

"Members of this council, and permanent members in particular, have a special responsibility to prevent this conflict from spreading," Blinken said, adding that he was looking forward "to continuing to work with my counterpart from the People's Republic of China to do precisely that".

Wang is scheduled to visit the US on Thursday. Although the purpose of his visit is to set the stage for an official trip by China's leader Xi Jinping next month, the crisis in the Middle East is widely expected to be on the agenda, reports BBC.

China's special envoy to the Middle East, Zhai Jun, has already visited several countries in the Middle East with an aim to broker a ceasefire.

China's growing influence in the region was evident earlier this year when it brokered a deal between Iran and Saudi Arabia - the rivals agreed to restore ties and held their first official talks since 2016.

/MHK/