Pakistan and China have jointly issued a five-point “initiative” aimed at ending the Iran war, calling on the “relevant parties” to immediately cease hostilities and start “peace talks as soon as possible” to restore regional peace.
In a statement issued after a meeting between Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing, the Foreign Office said the two sides had called for “utmost efforts” to prevent the war from spreading. They also emphasized the need to safeguard the “sovereignty, territorial integrity, national independence and security” of Iran and the Gulf states, expressing support for peace talks free from the use or the threat of force.
Additionally, Islamabad and Beijing called for security of non-military targets and an immediate halt to attacks on civilians in adherence to international humanitarian law. The two sides also called on Israel, Iran and the United States to protect the security of ships traversing the Strait of Hormuz, describing it as an “important” global shipping route for goods and energy.
The final point voiced by Pakistan and China, per the Foreign Office, was “primacy” of the United Nations Charter and efforts to practice true multilateralism.
Joint U.S.-Israeli strikes targeting Tehran on Feb. 28 incited the ongoing conflict, which has since embroiled much of the Gulf region. The war poses serious economic risks, as Iran’s effective blockade of oil and gas shipments through the Strait of Hormuz has raised fears of a global recession.
In recent weeks, Pakistan has sought to mediate the conflict, passing messages between Iran and the United States. As part of these efforts, Islamabad last week hosted the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Egypt, with Dar subsequently flying to China.
According to the Foreign Office, Dar and Yi reviewed bilateral ties, exchanged views on regional developments in West Asia, and discussed a wide range of issues of mutual interest. Both sides reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to further strengthening the “all-weather strategic cooperative partnership” and discussed means to deepen economic and strategic cooperation, including under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor 2.0.