China and Pakistan Call for Peace Talks to End Iran War

China and Pakistan have issued a joint call for an immediate ceasefire in the Gulf and the broader Middle East, urging the commencement of peace talks to address the escalating regional crisis. During a meeting held in Beijing on Tuesday, foreign ministers from both nations emphasized the urgent need to restore normal navigation through the Strait of Hormuz as the conflict involving the United States and Israel against Iran enters its fifth week.

Islamabad has expressed its readiness to facilitate negotiations between Washington and Tehran, utilizing its position as a key mediator with a 900-kilometer border with Iran and a history of diplomatic engagement with the American administration. The two countries presented a five-point initiative during the summit, asserting that peaceful means are the only sustainable way to settle disputes.

The joint initiative calls for the protection of civilians, civilian infrastructure, and peaceful nuclear facilities. It further stresses that the sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national independence of Iran and other Gulf states must be strictly safeguarded. Foreign Ministers Wang Yi and Mohammad Ishaq Dar specifically addressed the safety of strategic waterways, noting that the security of ships and crews in the Strait of Hormuz is a vital concern for global energy markets and shipping logistics.

Dialogue and diplomacy are the only feasible ways to resolve conflicts.

The statement concluded by calling on all involved parties to arrange for the safe passage of civil and commercial vessels as soon as possible, aiming to restore the flow of international trade through the strait at an early date.