Pakistan says China to press U.S.-Iran agreement

Pakistan is trying to draw China more directly into diplomacy between Washington and Tehran as talks over a broader U.S.-Iran arrangement remain unsettled. A May 21 post by FirstSquawk on X, citing Pakistani sources, said Islamabad was relying on China to help push a possible agreement through diplomatic channels. Public statements from Beijing and reporting from recent Pakistani and Iranian contacts show China has already endorsed Pakistan’s mediation role, while stopping short of publicly describing itself as a formal intermediary. The effort comes as a temporary ceasefire reached on April 8 remains in place, but U.S. and Iranian positions are still apart on core issues including Iran’s nuclear program and the Strait of Hormuz. ### Where does the claim that Pakistan wants China involved come from? FirstSquawk said on May 21 that Pakistani sources described China as the channel Islamabad hoped could help press a possible U.S.-Iran agreement. The post attributed that assessment to unnamed Pakistani officials, and it circulated as Pakistan was already engaged in a fresh round of contacts with Tehran. Pakistan has not publicly issued an equivalent statement in its own name that says China will serve as the intermediary for a final deal. (english.alarabiya.net) What Islamabad has said publicly is that it has been encouraging engagement between Tehran and Washington and staying in close contact with Beijing on those efforts, according to Pakistan Foreign Office language reported on May 12 after a call between Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. ### What has China actually said on the record? Guo Jiakun, a spokesman for China’s foreign ministry, said on May 21 that China would work with Pakistan to “make positive contributions to the early restoration of peace and stability in the Middle East.” Guo also said China supports Pakistan in playing a “fair and balanced mediating role in promoting peace and ending the war,” according to Reuters reporting carried by Al Arabiya. (pakistantoday.com.pk) Mao Ning, another Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson, said on March 31 that China “commends and supports Pakistan’s mediation effort for de-escalation” and is ready to enhance communication and coordination with Pakistan and others for a ceasefire and peace, Al Jazeera reported. Wang told Dar in a March 27 call that Beijing appreciated Islamabad’s “untiring efforts to cool down the situation,” the same report said. (english.alarabiya.net) ### What role has Pakistan been playing with Iran and the United States? Pakistan brokered a temporary ceasefire on April 8 and hosted talks in Islamabad on April 11 and 12, according to Pakistani and international reporting. Those talks did not produce a final settlement, but proposals and counter-proposals have continued to move between the two sides. (aljazeera.com) Mohsin Naqvi, Pakistan’s interior minister, traveled to Tehran twice within less than a week in May. Iranian and Pakistani reporting said he met President Masoud Pezeshkian, Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni and Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, who has also been described as Iran’s chief negotiator in the peace talks. (pakistantoday.com.pk) ### Why would Islamabad want Beijing more visibly involved now? Donald Trump said on May 21 that peace negotiations with Iran were “borderline” between talks and renewed strikes, according to Al Jazeera. That public warning came as Pakistani officials were again in Tehran trying to keep talks from collapsing. (aljazeera.com) China has kept public backing for Pakistan’s role in place while avoiding a detailed public outline of its own mediation terms. Reuters reported that Beijing has been shepherding phone calls and meetings with Gulf officials, and Trump said after meeting Xi Jinping last week that the Chinese leader had offered China’s help to open the Strait of Hormuz. (aljazeera.com) ### What happens next? Beijing said on May 21 that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will visit China from Saturday to Tuesday, or May 23 to May 26, for talks with President Xi Jinping. Chinese spokesman Guo said the two sides would exchange views on bilateral ties and issues of common concern, and he did not specify whether Iran would be formally on the agenda. (english.alarabiya.net)