China on Tuesday said no one wants the Russia-Ukraine conflict to turn into World War III. “No one wants to see a third world war break out,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told reporters when asked about Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov‘s comments on “a real threat of World War III.”

“We hope that relevant parties can keep cool-headed and exercise restraint, prevent escalation of tension, realize peace as soon as possible and avoid inflicting a heavier price on Europe and the world,” Wang said.

“Under the current circumstances, all parties should, first and foremost, support dialogue and negotiation to prevent the expansion and prolongation of conflicts,” he urged.

“At the same time, we should reflect on why Europe has again got caught up in the geopolitical conflict more than 30 years after the end of the Cold War, on how to build a balanced, effective and sustainable European security architecture, and on how to strengthen the global security governance system,” he added.

According to UN estimates, at least 2,729 civilians have been killed and 3,111 injured in Ukraine since Russia launched a war on its neighbor on Feb. 24, with the actual figure believed to be much higher.