China will continue to play a constructive role in pushing forward the Middle East peace process, said a Foreign Ministry spokesman Thursday.

"China is ready, together with the international community, to continue its constructive efforts for the realization of peace, stability and development in the Middle East at an early date," Ma Zhaoxu told reporters.

Ma made the remarks in response to a question on China's stance on the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC)'s endorsement of Goldstone report last week.

The 575-page report, which was prepared by Judge Richard Goldstone, not only accused Israel of committing war crimes in the Gaza Strip during a 22-day military offensive that ended on Jan. 18, but also criticized Hamas whose militants also committed war crimes by firing rockets at Israeli civilians.

Ma said China had voted in favor of the report in the hope of protecting the human rights of the people in the occupied Palestinian territories and to promote the resumption of Israeli-Palestinian peace process.

China had always held that all UN bodies should perform their duties and work strictly in accordance with their respective mandates, he said.

The UNHRC passed a resolution in Geneva last Friday that endorsed the Goldstone Report. Out of the 47-nation Council, 25 voted for the report, six voting against and the others either abstaining or declining to vote.