"China supports all efforts that contribute to a peaceful resolution of the crisis," said foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning when asked about the talks at a daily news conference in Beijing.

"We expect and hope that parties can reach a just and lasting solution that is acceptable to all sides," said Mao.

"China is also willing to continue to work with the international community to play a constructive role for a political resolution of the crisis," she added.

China presents itself as a neutral party in the war and says it is not sending lethal assistance to either side, unlike the United States and other Western nations.

But China is a close political and economic ally of Russia, and NATO members have branded Beijing a "decisive enabler" of the war, which it has never condemned.

The talks in Saudi Arabia will be the most senior since a disastrous White House visit last month when US President Donald Trump berated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for purported ingratitude.