March 31 (Reuters) – China and Pakistan on Tuesday called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gulf and the wider Middle East, urging peace talks to start as soon as possible and the restoration of normal navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, as their foreign ministers met in Beijing.
Both countries have called for talks to end the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, now in the fifth week. Islamabad has previously said it is ready to facilitate peace talks between Washington and Tehran.
Pakistan, which shares a more than 900‑km border with Iran, has emerged as a key mediator, building on its courtship of U.S. President Donald Trump and its reputation as a relatively neutral player with long-standing ties to Iran.
“Dialogue and diplomacy are the only feasible ways to resolve conflicts,” China and Pakistan said in a five-point initiative put forward during the meeting. “China and Pakistan support the parties concerned in initiating negotiations, and all sides should commit to resolving disputes through peaceful means.”
The initiative said the sovereignty, territorial integrity, national independence and security of Iran and Gulf countries should be safeguarded, and called for the protection of civilians, civilian infrastructure and peaceful nuclear facilities.
Wang Yi and Mohammad Ishaq Dar also said the safety of waterways must be ensured, including that of ships and crews stranded in and around the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic chokepoint now at the centre of global energy and shipping concerns.
China and Pakistan called on all parties to “arrange for civil and commercial vessels to pass through safely as soon as possible and restore normal navigation in the strait at an early date,” the initiative said.
(Reporting by Shi Bu, Xiuhao Chen and Ryan Woo, Ariba Shahid, Sakshi Dayal)
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