China and Pakistan on Tuesday jointly called for an immediate end to the Middle East war and the swift launch of peace talks, announcing a shared initiative to restore peace and stability in the Gulf and wider region.
The announcement of the initiative "for restoring peace and stability in the Gulf and Middle East region" comes following a visit by 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 U.N. charter and international law.
Dar's visit comes after he hosted his counterparts from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Türkiye on Sunday for weekend talks about trying to end the war, which was triggered by U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran on Feb. 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.
