BEIJING - A top Chinese diplomat repeated Beijing's call for calm and restraint in Ukraine on Monday, but avoided commenting on a referendum in Crimea after the region's Moscow-backed leaders declared a 96-percent vote in favour of joining Russia.

Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Li Baodong, speaking to reporters ahead of a visit to Europe by President Xi Jinping later this month, said that a political settlement was the only way to resolve the Ukraine crisis.

"We are paying very close attention to the situation in Ukraine," Li said, when asked about Crimea.

"We hope all parties can calmly maintain restraint to prevent the situation from further escalating and worsening. Political resolution and dialogue is the only way out."

China has said that it does not believe putting sanctions on Moscow would be the best way to resolve the situation.

"The Crimea issue ought to be resolved politically within a legal and orderly framework," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told reporters at a regular press briefing.

"The international community ought to play a constructive role in ameliorating the present situation," Hong said.

Over the weekend, China abstained on a U.N. Security Council resolution, which Russia vetoed, that declared the Crimea referendum would have no validity.