China presses Pakistan to deepen Iran mediation ahead of Trump-Xi talks

China’s foreign minister Wang Yi on Tuesday urged Pakistan to ramp up mediation efforts in the Iran crisis, as the war threatens to overshadow US President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing.

In a call with his Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar, Wang lauded Pakistan’s efforts in facilitating negotiations between Washington and Tehran and helping to extend the ceasefire. But he also called for Pakistan to “step up its mediation efforts to contribute to … the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and the early restoration of regional peace”.

“China will continue to support Pakistan’s mediation efforts and make its own contributions towards this end,” he said, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV.

Still, tensions in the region remain high and the ceasefire has been repeatedly tested, with the US carrying out “self-defence strikes” against Iranian targets.

According to the CCTV report, Dar thanked China for backing Islamabad’s mediation efforts and said he looked forward to closer coordination to “jointly play a positive role in safeguarding regional peace and stability”.