China, Pakistan propose Five-Point initiative to promote peace in Gulf, Middle East

BEIJING, Mar 31 (APP):Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi and Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Senator Mohammad Ishaq Dar after meeting here on Tuesday jointly unveiled a five-point initiative aimed at restoring peace and stability in the Gulf and wider Middle East region amid rising tensions.

The two leaders reviewed the evolving regional situation and emphasized the urgent need for coordinated diplomatic efforts to prevent further escalation and humanitarian consequences across conflict-affected areas, a DPM’s Office news release said.

As part of the initiative, China and Pakistan called for the immediate cessation of hostilities, urging all parties to prevent the conflict from spreading further and to ensure unhindered humanitarian assistance to affected populations.

The two countries also stressed the importance of initiating peace talks at the earliest possible stage, underscoring that sovereignty, territorial integrity, national independence and security of Iran and Gulf states must be respected. They reiterated that dialogue and diplomacy remain the only viable path to resolving disputes and called on all parties to refrain from the use or threat of force during negotiations.

The joint proposal emphasized the protection of civilians and non-military infrastructure, including energy installations, desalination plants, power facilities and peaceful nuclear infrastructure. Both sides urged strict adherence to international humanitarian law by all parties to the conflict.

China and Pakistan further called for ensuring the security of global shipping lanes, particularly the strategic Strait of Hormuz, stressing the need to safeguard vessels and crew and restore normal commercial maritime traffic through the vital energy corridor as soon as possible.

In the final point of the initiative, both countries reaffirmed the primacy of the United Nations Charter, urging strengthened multilateral cooperation and support for the development of a comprehensive peace framework based on international law to achieve lasting regional stability.

The five-point initiative reflects growing diplomatic engagement by China and Pakistan to encourage de-escalation and promote peaceful resolution of conflicts in the Gulf and Middle East through multilateral cooperation and dialogue.