Wang Yi told a press conference in the Chinese capital that the war, which was sparked by US and Israeli strikes on Iran, "should never have happened".

"A strong fist does not mean strong reason. The world cannot return to the law of the jungle," he told reporters.

He made the comments during China's annual political gathering, known as the "Two Sessions", which began this week.

The parallel meetings of China's parliament and political consultative body are closely watched for signals as to Chinese leaders' geopolitical strategy, as tensions with the United States and regional rivals persist and wars in the Middle East and Ukraine rage.

"This year is indeed a big year for Sino-US relations," Wang said.

Ties between China and the United States have been strained since US President Donald Trump returned to the White House last year, followed by a trade war that saw the two countries impose tit-for-tat tariffs on each other's products.

Beijing has previously blasted US and Israeli military actions in Iran, with which it has diplomatic and trade ties, and condemned in particular the killing of the country's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Wang told reporters on Sunday that China and the United States must "make careful preparations, create a suitable environment, manage existing differences, and eliminate unnecessary interference".

He also maintained that China's relations with Moscow, which have been criticised by Western countries as sustaining the war in Ukraine, remained "steadfast and unshakeable".

"Amidst the turbulent and complex international environment, China-Russia relations remain steadfast and unshakable," he said.