BEIJING - Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said here Wednesday that China welcomed the formation of a new Iraqi government.

"We welcome the formation of a new Iraqi government and express our congratulations," said Jiang while commenting on the Iraqi parliament's vote of confidence for Prime Minister-designate Nuri al-Maliki's government.

China hoped "the Iraqi government would unite all the Iraqi people, stabilize the security situation, accelerate the economic reconstruction and keep making new achievements in the course of state-building," she said.

The Iraqi parliament Tuesday approved Maliki's new cabinet, ending more than nine months of political deadlock after the country's parliamentary elections.