China and Pakistan call for preventing the spread and escalation of Middle East conflicts

As Pakistan is brokering U.S.-Iran talks, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani in Beijing to exchange views on the situation in the Gulf and the Middle East. Both sides called for an immediate cessation of hostilities, making every effort to prevent the spread and escalation of the conflict, and to restore the Straits of Hormuz’s normal passage as soon as possible.

In a five-point proposal published by Xinhua in the evening on China-Pakistan measures to restore peace and stability in the Gulf and the Middle East, it said that the principle of protecting civilians during military conflicts, as well as ensuring the safety of non-military targets, cannot be crossed. It urged all sides to immediately stop attacks on civilians and non-military targets, and to stop attacks on key civilian infrastructure such as energy, seawater desalination, electricity, and peaceful nuclear facilities such as nuclear power plants.

The proposal said that China and Pakistan urged all parties to protect the safety of ships and crews stranded in the waters within the Straits of Hormuz, arrange for civilian commercial vessels to transit safely as soon as possible, and restore normal passage through the strait as soon as possible.

China and Pakistan also proposed that talks be opened as soon as possible, and that the parties concerned initiate negotiations. All parties should commit to resolving disputes through peaceful means, and during the talks, the conflicting sides should not use or threaten to use force.

The proposal emphasized that Iran’s sovereignty, territorial integrity, national independence, and security should be upheld. Dialogue and diplomacy are the only viable ways to resolve the conflict.

In addition, China and Pakistan argued that genuine multilateralism should be practiced, jointly promote strengthening the role of the United Nations, support reaching agreements on establishing a comprehensive peace framework and achieving lasting peace based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law.

On Monday, U.S. President Trump warned that if Tehran does not open the Straits of Hormuz, the United States will destroy Iran’s energy facilities and oil wells. On Tuesday, he further urged those countries that had not assisted the U.S. and Israel in launching strikes against Iran to buy American oil and go to the Straits of Hormuz to directly seize fuel.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Tuesday, during a briefing, that the United States is fully aware of what China and Russia are doing to help Iran and will respond when necessary. He also said that the coming days will be a critical period for the conflict in the Middle East and claimed that Iran’s armed forces have seen widespread desertion.