China hosted a summit for African leaders last week while the Trump administration weighed adding two dozen more African countries to its travel ban list.

China is "deeply worried" about Israel's military operation against Iran that has escalated tensions in the Middle East, President Xi Jinping said on Tuesday, in his first public comments on the conflict that erupted last Friday.

Eli Belotserkovsky did not rule out the prospect of Beijing helping to mediate between the two bitter enemies.