BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) - Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Monday that the top priority is to immediately cease military operations in the Middle East to prevent the further spread of conflicts.

The path to a breakthrough lies in returning to dialogue and negotiation as soon as possible, so as to strive to restore peace, he said.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in a phone conversation with Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani.