China and Pakistan have jointly proposed a five-point roadmap for peace in the Middle East, urging an immediate ceasefire and the start of talks.
BEIJING: China and Pakistan have jointly called for an immediate end to the Middle East conflict and outlined a five-point plan to restore stability.
The initiative follows a visit to Beijing by senior Pakistani officials, including Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar.
Both nations agreed to strengthen coordination on the Iran situation and advocate for peace. Dar met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to discuss the escalating regional crisis.
Wang expressed China’s support for Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts to mediate. “China supports and looks forward to Pakistan playing a unique and important role in easing the situation and resuming peace talks,” Wang said, according to a Chinese readout.
The five-point plan demands an immediate cessation of hostilities and the start of peace talks as soon as possible. It states that dialogue and diplomacy are the only viable option to resolve the conflict.
The joint initiative also calls for an end to attacks on civilians and non-military targets like energy infrastructure. It emphasises the need to secure shipping lanes, particularly for safe passage through the strategic Strait of Hormuz.
A lasting peace, the countries stated, should be based on the UN charter and international law. The plan was agreed upon as both nations seek to prevent further regional escalation.
Dar’s visit to China followed a weekend meeting in Islamabad with foreign ministers from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey. The conflict was triggered by US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.
China, a key partner of Iran, has repeatedly called for a ceasefire but has not announced military assistance. Tehran has denied holding official talks with Washington, though a source told Iranian media a response to a US peace plan was passed via Islamabad.
Pakistan is one of China’s closest regional partners. Beijing has also urged calm in Islamabad’s own tensions with Afghanistan, with a Chinese special envoy recently mediating between them.
