A spokeswoman for China's foreign ministry urges the United States to play "a constructive role" in the Middle East on Friday, after its top diplomat Wang Yi spoke with US counterpart Antony Blinken over the phone. Mao Ning also criticised the United States, Japan and the Philippines and defended China's actions in the South China Sea as "lawful" after US President Joe Biden hosted a trilateral meeting in Washington. IMAGES AND SOUNDBITES