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China and Pakistan put forward five proposals on restoring peace and stability in the Gulf region and the Middle East during talks between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar in Beijing on Tuesday.

The proposals are immediately ceasing hostilities, initiating peace talks as soon as possible, ensuring the safety of non-military targets, ensuring the safety of navigation, and safeguarding the primacy of the UN Charter, according to Xinhua. 

During the meeting, Wang said that after hosting a quadrilateral foreign ministers’ meeting in Islamabad, the Pakistani side came straight to Beijing without pause to jointly discuss how to ease tensions in the Middle East, which China welcomes. 

“Pakistan’s efforts to shuttle between parties to promote peace and end the fighting demonstrate its firm commitment to safeguarding regional and global peace. The timely strategic communication between China and Pakistan on major international and regional issues and the deepening of strategic coordination embody the essence of the China-Pakistan community with a shared future. China supports and looks forward to Pakistan playing a unique and important role in de-escalating tensions and restoring peace talks. This process will not be easy, but Pakistan’s mediation efforts are in line with the common interests of all parties,” Wang said. 

Hours before the proposals, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Tuesday afternoon that the “two foreign ministers will step up strategic communication and coordination on the situation in Iran and other international and regional issues of mutual interest, jointly call for peace and a just position, and make new efforts to help end the conflict and bring about peace and stability in the region.” 

Calls for ceasefire

China and Pakistan are calling for an immediate ceasefire and an end to the fighting, and for all-out efforts to prevent further escalation and spillover of the conflict, according to the Xinhua News Agency.

The two sides also noted that the sovereignty, territorial integrity, independence and security of Iran and Gulf countries should be respected. Dialogue and diplomacy are the only viable way to resolve conflicts.

In addition, China and Pakistan called on all parties to immediately cease attacks against civilians and non-military targets, fully comply with international humanitarian law, and stop attacks on key infrastructure such as energy facilities, desalination plants, power systems and peaceful nuclear facilities including nuclear power plants.

In terms of the Strait of Hormuz, China and Pakistan call on all parties to ensure the safety of vessels and crews stranded within the Strait, arrange for the safe and prompt passage of civilian and commercial ships, and restore normal navigation in the Strait as soon as possible.

Advocating strengthening the UN’s role, the two countries said they support reaching agreements based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and international law to establish a comprehensive framework for peace and achieve lasting peace.

Zhu Yongbiao, director of the Center for Afghanistan Studies at Lanzhou University, told the Global Times that the proposals highlight the special nature of China-Pakistan relations and the high degree of alignment in their positions.

“The proposals reflect the principled consensus China and Pakistan have reached on Middle East issues, further strengthening their coordinated stance in international affairs,” the expert said.

It also demonstrates China’s responsibility in maintaining regional and global peace. In particular, the call to ensure safe passage for civilian vessels through the Strait of Hormuz aligns with the interests of the vast majority of countries and is practically feasible, Zhu noted, making it a key point of focus.

The five-point proposals provide a roadmap for resolving the current Middle East crisis, outlining the basic principles of both countries for future peace negotiations, and demonstrating China’s support for Pakistan’s mediation efforts, Ding Long, a professor at the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times on Tuesday. 

Strategic coordination 

The trip to Beijing marks Dar’s second official visit to China this year, the Pakistani Foreign Office (FO) said. 

The FO stated that although Dar suffered a minor hairline fracture in his shoulder while hosting the Egyptian Foreign Minister, and doctors had advised him to rest, he insisted on proceeding with the planned visit to China as scheduled. The FO stressed that this “is evidence of the importance placed by Pakistan on its relationship with China,” a point also noted by multiple Pakistani media outlets.

According to Pakistani media The News International, Pakistan has kept China in the loop as it intensifies efforts to bring the warring parties to the table in Islamabad. 

Zhu said the frequent recent visits of Pakistan’s foreign minister to China reflect both the practical need to address recurring regional hotspots, including issues in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran, and the high level of strategic mutual trust between the two countries.

The expert noted that regular high-level exchanges allow China and Pakistan to coordinate positions efficiently, respond jointly to complex regional challenges, deepen mutual trust, and strengthen consensus, signaling a broad and promising future for bilateral relations.

International media has focused on the timing and context of the visit amid the escalating tensions surrounding Iran. Some foreign outlets linked Dar’s trip to Beijing with the heightened situation in the Middle East, suggesting that Pakistan could serve as a “peace broker,” a “mediator,” or even as a potential host for talks between the US and Iran. 

“The visit comes a day after Islamabad hosted the foreign ministers of Turkey, Egypt and Saudi Arabia for a quadrilateral meeting as part of its ongoing efforts to push the US and Iran toward the negotiation table,” Turkey‑based media Anadolu Agency said in its report.

The month-long conflict has spread across the Middle East, killing thousands, disrupting energy supplies, and threatening to send the global economy into a tailspin. Amid these developments, Bloomberg noted that US President Donald Trump has sent conflicting signals about the US’s next steps in the war. 

He has claimed the US is already negotiating both directly and through mediators with Iran, while also publicly considering expanding the military campaign and threatening strikes on key energy and infrastructure sites. Iran has repeatedly denied that it is in talks with the US, according to Bloomberg.

Meanwhile, Iran’s military strikes have continued, with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) reportedly carrying out attacks as part of the 88th wave of Operation True Promise 4 in the early hours of Tuesday. 

The IRGC Public Relations Department announced that a hideout used by US Marines along the coast of the United Arab Emirates was precisely targeted and destroyed by explosive drones. The IRGC statement reiterated that the Strait of Hormuz is fully and firmly under the control of its forces, Iran’s PressTV reported. 

The ongoing escalation of the situation in Iran has created multiple uncertainties for regional security, with rising risks to energy security, shipping routes and humanitarian conditions. This not only tests the restraint of the parties involved but also places higher demands on the international community for diplomatic mediation, Ding said. 

The expert noted that the Middle East crisis has now reached a crossroads between war and peace. Pakistan’s mediation efforts have been recognized by both sides of the conflict, providing a platform to de-escalate the prolonged tensions and offering a glimmer of hope for peace, making them particularly valuable. 

Fundamental relief, however, still requires all parties to seek a political solution through dialogue rather than military confrontation, Ding added.