A man holds a picture of top Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani during a protest in Tehran, Iran, on Jan. 3, 2020. (Photo by Ahmad Halabisaz/Xinhua)

The French side hopes to stay in close communication with China and play a positive role in preventing the escalation of regional tensions, said the French foreign minister.

BEIJING, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Unilateral use of force will not solve any problem but only backfire and lead to a vicious circle of confrontation, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Saturday.

Wang made the remarks during a phone conversation with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.

Le Drian expounded the views of the French side on the current situation in the Middle East, stressing that France opposes the use of force in international relations and Iraq's territorial sovereignty should be respected.

It is vital to preserve the Iran nuclear deal under the current circumstance, Le Drian said, adding that the French side hopes to stay in close communication with China and play a positive role in preventing the escalation of regional tensions.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani (C) addresses the General Debate of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly at the UN headquarters in New York, on Sept. 25, 2019. Rouhani on Wednesday ruled out negotiations with the United States unless the latter lifts sanctions on his country first. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

Wang said China shares a similar position with France on the issue.

Noting that the two countries are permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and shoulder important responsibilities in maintaining world peace and stability, he said it is necessary for them to strengthen strategic communication and play a constructive role in jointly safeguarding the principles of the UN Charter and the basic norms on international ties, and opposing any unilateral use of force.

The Iran nuclear deal is an important result of multilateral diplomacy, which pools painstaking efforts of all parties concerned and supports regional peace and stability in the Middle East, he stressed.

Wang hopes that all sides will maintain close communication to prevent the attacks from affecting the implementation of the Iran nuclear deal. ■