Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, attends a press conference on China's foreign policy and foreign relations on the sidelines of the second session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, capital of China, March 7, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

All conflicts have to end at the negotiating table and the earlier the talks start, the sooner peace will arrive, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Thursday over the Ukraine crisis.

"All our efforts point to one goal, that is, to pave the way for ending the conflict and starting peace talks," Wang told a press conference held on the sidelines of the ongoing session of the national legislature.

Past experience shows that a conflict, when prolonged, tends to deteriorate and escalate, even to the extent unthinkable for parties concerned, and that in the absence of peace talks, misperception and miscalculation will accumulate and may lead to an even bigger crisis, Wang noted.

China supports the holding in due course of an international peace conference that is recognized by both Russia and Ukraine and ensures the equal participation of all parties and fair discussions on all peace plans, he said.

China also looks forward to an early return to peace and stability on the European continent and stands ready to continue to play a constructive role to that end, he said.