Asked about the discussions, which do not include Ukraine, foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said China was "happy to see all efforts towards peace", adding: "At the same time, we hope that all parties and stakeholders can participate in the peace talks in due course."

US President Donald Trump is pushing for a swift resolution to the three-year conflict in Ukraine, while Russia sees his outreach as a chance to win concessions.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Kyiv was not invited to the discussions in the Saudi capital Riyadh, while European leaders were gathering in Paris for emergency talks on how to respond to the radical pivot by the new US administration.

Guo said: "We hope that all parties can work together to resolve the root causes of the Ukraine crisis, find a balanced, effective and sustainable security structure and achieve long-term peace and stability in Europe."