Beijing, May 15 -- The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday reiterated Beijing's support for dialogue and political settlement over the ongoing conflict between the US and Iran, saying "the use of force is a dead end" and urging all sides to maintain momentum toward de-escalation in West Asia.

Responding to a question on whether the Chinese President Xi Jinping and the US President Donald Trump discussed Iran during Trump's visit to China, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Beijing's position on the issues was "very clear."

"The conflict has inflicted severe losses on the people in Iran and other regional countries. With the spillover still expanding, the conflict has put a heavy strain on global economic growth, supply chains, ...