China 'highly concerned' after Soleimani killing

China on Monday said it was "highly concerned" over increasing tensions in the Middle East following the targeted killing of Iranian Revolutionary Guard General Qassem Soleimani.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Geng Shuang, called on all parties to "return to the path of dialogue and consultation as soon as possible."

He also said the US' withdrawal from the 2015 nuclear deal was "the root cause of the current tension of Iranian nuclear issue."

Tehran announced this week it had abandoned the remaining limits of its nuclear deal with world powers in response to the slaying of Soleimani while in Iraq.

The developments could bring Iran closer to building an atomic bomb, set off a proxy or military attack launched by Tehran against the US and enable the Islamic State group to stage a comeback in Iraq, making the Middle East a far more dangerous and unstable place.