China and Pakistan proposed a 5-point proposal to end hostilities in Iran

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ninh said at a press conference in Beijing on April 1 that this country and Pakistan are trying to mediate to end hostilities in the Middle East, creating an opportunity for negotiations between the US and Iran as the war has entered its fifth week.

Previously, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar met in Beijing and announced a 5-point peace proposal for the Middle East, including an immediate cessation of hostile actions, starting peace negotiations as soon as possible, ensuring security for non-military goals, security for maritime routes and prioritizing the United Nations (UN) Charter.

Mrs. Mao said that tensions in the Middle East “are not in accordance with the interests of any party” and asked countries to welcome China-Pakistan’s mediation efforts. “The top priority is to start peace negotiations as soon as possible,” she said.

In the five-point proposal, Beijing and Islamabad called for “allowing safe passage of civilian and commercial ships, as well as restoring normal navigation through the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible.”

This joint initiative comes while Pakistan is mediating indirect talks between the US and Iran to end hostilities. However, it did not state specific measures for the two sides to sit at the ceasefire negotiation table.

The US has not commented on the proposal put forward by China – Pakistan. Meanwhile, Iran announced that it has not had any negotiations with the US, although there have been a number of messages exchanged between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US special envoy Steve Witkoff.

After being attacked by the US and Israel on February 28, Iran launched a retaliation campaign by targeting military targets and energy infrastructure in the Middle East with missiles and drones.

Tehran also almost completely blocked the Strait of Hormuz, where about 20% of the world’s crude oil passes through. Iran said “non-hostile ships” can move through the strait if they coordinate with Tehran and comply with announced security regulations.

Iran allows some ships from Malaysia, China, Egypt, South Korea and India to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. They also announced a list of “friendly countries” that can use the Strait of Hormuz for trade without hindrance, including India, Pakistan, Iraq, China and Russia.

The conflict has so far left more than 3,000 people dead across the Middle East, mainly in Iran and Lebanon.