BEIJING, March 31, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - China and Pakistan called on Tuesday 
for an immediate end to the war in the Middle East, and for peace talks as 
soon as possible, as they agreed to boost their cooperation on Iran.

The two countries outlined a joint initiative "for restoring peace and 
stability in the Gulf and Middle East region", after a visit from senior 
Pakistani officials to Beijing.

Both countries have sought to mediate in the Middle East to prevent the 
conflict from escalating, with Islamabad saying it is ready to host 
"meaningful talks" between the United States and Iran.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and 
agreed to "strengthen strategic communication and coordination on the Iran 
situation and ... make new efforts towards advocating for peace", Beijing 
said.

Wang backed Pakistan's mediation efforts as "in keeping with the common 
interests of all parties", according to a Chinese readout of the meeting.

"China supports and looks forward to Pakistan playing a unique and important 
role in easing the situation and resuming peace talks," Wang said.

Dar's ministry said the two sides had agreed on a five-point plan, starting 
with the "immediate cessation of hostilities" and the "start of peace talks 
as soon as possible".

On talks, which the United States claims are ongoing but Iran denies, the 
governments said dialogue and diplomacy were "the only viable option to 
resolve conflicts".

"China and Pakistan support the relevant parties in initiating talks, with 
all parties committing to peaceful resolution of disputes, and refraining 
from the use or the threat of use of force during peace talks," according to 
Pakistan's foreign ministry.

The plan also calls for an end to attacks on civilians and non-military 
targets, such as energy infrastructure and desalination plants.

Shipping lanes should be secured, allowing "the early and safe passage of 
civilian and commercial ships" through the strategic Strait of Hormuz, it 
added.

Both countries said a lasting peace should be based on the UN charter and 
international law.

Dar's visit comes after he hosted his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Egypt 
and Turkey on Sunday for weekend talks about trying to end the war, which was 
triggered by US-Israeli strikes on Iran on February 28.

Concerns are running high about the impact of the fighting, including the 
choking of maritime traffic through the Strait.

China is a key partner of Iran but has not announced military assistance to 
Tehran, instead repeatedly calling for a ceasefire.

Tehran has refused to admit to holding official talks with Washington but has 

passed a response to President Donald Trump's 15-point plan to end the war 
via Islamabad, according to an anonymous source cited by the Iranian Tasnim 
news agency.

Pakistan is one of China's closest partners in the region, but Beijing has 
called for "calm and restraint" in Islamabad's own conflict with Afghanistan.

A Chinese special envoy spent a week mediating between the two countries, 
Beijing's foreign ministry said this month.