A child holds a dog on a street in the town of Mitrovica, Serbia, file photo. [Photo/VCG]

UNITED NATIONS - China on Wednesday called on Belgrade and Pristina to engage in dialogue and negotiations to settle their disputes.

UN Security Council Resolution 1244 serves as an important legal basis for the settlement of the Kosovo issue, and parties should seek a solution that is acceptable to them within the framework of relevant UN Security Council resolutions, said Wu Haitao, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations.

China respects the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Serbia, understands Belgrade's legitimate concerns over the issue of Kosovo, and commends Serbia's efforts to seek a political solution, Wu told a Security Council meeting on Kosovo.

Kosovo is faced with complex and difficult issues although the security situation remains stable, he said.

China welcomes contacts between Belgrade and Pristina that are designed to push dialogue to a new chapter. Beijing hopes that the two sides will stick to the direction of political settlement and resume high-level political dialogue as soon as possible. China urges the two sides to implement agreements and increase mutual trust so as to create conditions for an ultimate peaceful settlement of their disputes, said Wu.

National reconciliation and peaceful coexistence are in the interests of all ethnic groups in Kosovo and are in line with the need of development and prosperity of Kosovo and other countries in the region, said Wu. China hopes that the parties concerned should put people's well-being first, protect the legitimate rights of all ethnic groups in Kosovo and refrain from rhetoric and acts that would escalate tension.

The UN Security Council should keep its attention to the Kosovo issue and push for a suitable solution, he said. China supports the work of the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo and encourages constructive cooperation between the mission and other parties. China hopes the UN mission in Kosovo, the EU mission in Kosovo and the international forces in Kosovo would work together and play a constructive role in the improvement of the situation in Kosovo and the ultimate settlement of the issue.