China and Pakistan in a joint statement on Tuesday proposed a five-point initiative aimed at restoring peace and stability in the Persian Gulf and the broader Middle East amid the Iran war, following talks between senior officials in Beijing.
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar met on March 31, 2026, to review the situation in the region and outline a joint framework for de-escalation.
The meeting comes as Pakistan has in recent weeks positioned itself as a mediator in the Iran war, hosting talks in Islamabad with Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia days earlier and reportedly facilitating indirect exchanges between Iran and the United States.
In the statement, the Pakistani and Chinese sides called for the immediate cessation of hostilities and urged all parties to take maximum efforts to prevent further escalation. They stressed that humanitarian assistance must be allowed to reach all war-affected areas without obstruction.
Beijing and Islamabad also emphasized the need to start peace talks as soon as possible, underscoring that dialogue and diplomacy are the only viable means to resolve conflicts.
They called for safeguarding the sovereignty, territorial integrity, national independence and security of Iran and its Arab neighbors, and urged all sides to commit to peaceful dispute resolution and refrain from the use or threat of force during negotiations.
The initiative highlighted the importance of protecting civilians and non-military targets, calling on all parties to immediately halt attacks on civilian populations and infrastructure.
It stressed adherence to international humanitarian law and specifically warned against targeting critical facilities, including energy, desalination and power plants, as well as peaceful nuclear infrastructure such as nuclear power stations.
China and Pakistan also drew attention to the security of maritime routes, describing the Strait of Hormuz as a vital global shipping lane for goods and energy. They called for measures to ensure the safety of vessels and crews in the area, facilitate the safe passage of civilian and commercial ships, and restore normal transit through the strait as soon as possible.
Finally, the two countries reaffirmed the primacy of the United Nations Charter, urging stronger multilateral cooperation. They called for efforts to support a comprehensive peace framework and achieve lasting peace based on international law and the principles of the UN Charter.
