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BEIJING, Saturday (Reuters) China's Foreign Minister has telephoned U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell to back his peacemaking visit to the Middle East and support an active U.S. role in the region, state media reported.

Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan told Powell in the phone call on Friday that China was willing to cooperate with the United States in efforts to reverse the dangerous situation on the West Bank, the official Xinhua news agency said late on Friday.

"China hopes the United States would play an active role in easing the conflict between Israel and Palestine," Tang was quoted as saying.

He also said China was "ready to maintain consultation and cooperation with the United States on this issue", Xinhua said.

Israel has ignored a United Nations Security Council resolution and pleas from U.S. President George W. Bush and others for its forces to withdraw from the West Bank.

The Israeli strikes gained intensity on Friday, killing 25 Palestinians in one of the bloodiest days since Israel began its offensive in response to a wave of Palestinian suicide bombings.

Tang urged Israel to withdrawal from the territories earlier in the week in a telephone conversation with Israeli Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, who visited Beijing last month.

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