China’s Xi puts forward 4-point proposal on promoting Middle East peace, stability

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday put forward a four-point proposal to promote peace and stability in the Middle East during a meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Beijing.

Xi called for adherence to the principle of peaceful coexistence, stressing the need to build a “common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable” security architecture for the Middle East and the Gulf region.

The war between the United States and Iran, which started on April 28, marked a sharp escalation in regional tensions, with Washington, alongside Israel, launching an intense military campaign targeting thousands of Iranian sites from land, sea and air.

Within days, over 5,000 targets were struck, focusing on military infrastructure, missile capabilities and naval assets, in an apparent bid to neutralise Iran’s perceived threat to Israel. Despite the scale of the offensive, the campaign revealed little in terms of a broader political or strategic roadmap, raising concerns among analysts about its long-term consequences and the risk of wider instability across the Middle East, including the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the death of Iran’s top leadership.

Read: China rejects accusations of supplying weapons to Iran

Xi further urged adherence to the principle of national sovereignty, saying the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of countries in the Middle East and the Gulf region should be fully respected, while ensuring the safety of personnel, facilities and institutions.

On the principle of international rule of law, Xi said its authority must be upheld to prevent the world from “falling back into the law of the jungle”.

He added that development and security should be coordinated, urging all parties to work together to create a favourable environment for the development of countries in the Middle East and the Gulf region.

On April 10, a fragile and conditional ceasefire was reached between United States and Iran, brokered by Pakistan after weeks of intense conflict.

The agreement centred on a two-week pause in fighting aimed at halting major military strikes and reopening strategic routes such as the Strait of Hormuz, though core disagreements remain unresolved. Both sides have since described the ceasefire as a form of victory while maintaining competing positions on a long-term settlement.

At the heart of the truce is a 10-point Iranian proposal, which the US has called a “workable basis” for negotiations, covering non-aggression, operation of the Strait of Hormuz, sanctions relief, and cessation of hostilities across multiple theatres.

Nearly 24-hour talks in Islamabad saw both sides hold firm on key demands while leaving space for further engagement, with Pakistan highlighting its diplomatic role in facilitating dialogue. Meanwhile, China has taken a cautious but active stance, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi describing a “glimmer of hope” and urging sustained dialogue to prevent wider regional spillover.

US President Donald Trump said he is “fine” if Iran does not return to negotiations following failed peace talks in Pakistan, even as he maintained that the ceasefire between Washington and Tehran is “holding well.”

Speaking at Joint Base Andrews, Trump initially suggested Iran would eventually “come to the table,” but later added he did not care if a “desperate” Iran re-engaged in talks, reflecting mixed signals after the Islamabad discussions failed to produce a deal. He also insisted the talks had been “very friendly,” while expressing confidence that Tehran would ultimately have little choice but to negotiate.

Read More: Iran’s Pezeshkian says US doesn’t believe in diplomacy as IRGC threatens to target US tech firms

Separately, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, during a meeting with Xi in Beijing, opposed a “new cold war”, decoupling and the severing of supply chains.

Sanchez said Spain supports enhanced communication, mutual understanding and cooperation between Europe and China, adding that Madrid values Beijing’s status as a major country.

US sanctioned Chinese tanker passes Straight of Hormuz despite US blockade

A third Iran-linked tanker was entering the Gulf via the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday on the first full day of the US blockade on vessels calling at Iranian ports, shipping data showed. Trump announced the blockade on Sunday after weekend peace talks in Islamabad between the US and Iran failed to reach a deal.

As the three vessels transiting the strait were not heading to Iranian ports, they are not covered by the blockade.

Panama-flagged Peace Gulf, a medium-range tanker, is heading to Hamriyah port in the United Arab Emirates, LSEG data showed. The vessel typically moves Iranian naphtha, a petrochemical feedstock, to other non-Iranian Middle Eastern ports for export to Asia, Kpler data showed.

Prior to this, two US-sanctioned tankers passed through the narrow waterway. Handy tanker Murlikishan is heading to Iraq to load fuel oil on April 16, Kpler data showed. The vessel, formerly known as MKA, has transported Russian and Iranian oil. Another sanctioned tanker, Rich Starry, would be the first to make it through the strait and to exit the Gulf since the blockade began, data from LSEG and Kpler showed.

The tanker and its owner Shanghai Xuanrun Shipping Co Ltd were sanctioned by the United States for dealing with Iran. The company could not be immediately reached for comment. Rich Starry is a medium-range tanker carrying about 250,000 barrels of methanol, according to the data. It loaded the cargo at its last port of call, the UAE’s Hamriyah, the data showed. The Chinese-owned tanker has Chinese crew on board, the data showed.

China’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday that a US blockade of Iranian ports is “dangerous and irresponsible,” warning it would only aggravate tensions. It did not mention whether Chinese ships were passing through the strait.