Washington — China is intensifying its diplomacy in this regard Iran warHe put forward a five-point proposal with Pakistan, enlisting support from Gulf states and opposing the UN proposal to use any force necessary to open the border. Strait of Hormuz.
It is China’s latest push to take a more prominent role in global affairs, though it may be more rhetorical than substantive, as the United States appears uninterested in Beijing’s efforts.
“War with Iran is the priority of all countries inside and outside the region,” said Sun Yun, director of the China program at the Stimson Center, a Washington-based think tank. “It is an opportunity that China will not miss to show its leadership and diplomatic initiative.”
Danny Russell, a former senior US diplomat, called China’s diplomacy “accomplishing” and compared the five-point proposal to end the Iran war to its 12-point plan for Ukraine in 2023, which was “full of platitudes but never acted upon.”
“Its narrative is that while Washington is reckless, aggressive, and indifferent to the cost to others, China is a principled and responsible champion of peace,” said Russell, a distinguished fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute. “What we see from China are messages, not mediation.”
Liu Bingyu, spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, said China has been working “tirelessly for peace” since the outbreak of war.
The Trump administration appears to have little enthusiasm for the prospect of Chinese mediation, according to US officials.
Three U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss potential diplomatic options publicly, said the United States has soured on third-party mediation efforts and has little interest in boosting China’s international standing or giving it a chance to claim success in the Middle East.
One of the officials described the administration’s position on the Chinese-Pakistani efforts as “neutral,” neither an endorsement nor a rejection, but all three stressed that that could change if President Donald Trump decides before his decision. Planned summit With Chinese President Xi Jinping.
For Beijing, there may be an incentive to see the war calm down before Trump travels to China in mid-May. Given the demands of the war, Trump postponed the trip, which was initially scheduled for the end of March.
“There is no guarantee that Trump may not postpone the visit to China again if the war continues,” Sun said.
The war witnessed a Big escalation on Friday When Iran shot down two American military aircraft, the first since the war began five weeks ago. Trump told NBC News that this would not affect negotiations with Iran, just days after his announcement National address And that the United States “defeated and destroyed Iran completely.”
Currently, China has become more insulated from disturbances in the Strait of Hormuz than other countries after diversifying its energy sources and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
China depends on Iran for only about 13% of its oil imports, and Beijing is working with Tehran to allow Chinese-flagged ships to pass through the vital waterway, where stifling Iranian control has led to high energy prices. China also maintains a large strategic oil reserve.
While China has positioned itself to mitigate short-term shocks, analysts say Beijing is concerned about a long-term war and has an interest in trying to end it.
“Escalating the conflict will begin to harm Chinese interests,” Russell said. “Because China’s growth model is so dependent on exports, long-term energy shocks and shipping disruptions will mean higher input costs and weaker global demand, hurting its weak economy.”
Besides not wanting to see a long war, China “welcomes the opportunity to signal that it is helping mitigate a crisis of America’s making, especially as the Trump administration’s lack of a thoughtful strategy to contain the fallout becomes more apparent,” said Ali Wein, senior research and advocacy adviser on US-China relations at the International Crisis Group.
After the war began, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke with his counterparts from Russia, Oman, Iran, France, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. He told Iran that China cherishes its friendship, urged Israel to stop military operations, and expressed China’s willingness to play a role in seeking peace.
Last week, Wang hosted his Pakistani counterpart in Beijing to discuss their five-point proposal, which calls for an end to hostilities and the reopening of the Strait.
Liu said that he made more than 20 phone calls with regional foreign ministers, and a special envoy visited several countries in the region with the aim of promoting peace and calming tensions.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said that Wang requested support for China’s plan from European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, telling her that it represented a “broad international consensus.” Wang told Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan that stopping the fighting is the most urgent matter.
Wang also spoke this week with Bahraini Foreign Minister Abdul Latif bin Rashid Al Zayani to explain why China opposes Bahrain’s proposal at the United Nations to allow the use of military force to open the Strait of Hormuz. Wang said actions by the UN Security Council should help ease tensions “rather than endorsing illegal acts of war, let alone adding fuel to the fire.”
China and Russia have argued that the United States or other countries could exploit a U.N.-backed mechanism to escalate the deadly war, according to a U.N. diplomat, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the diplomatic talks.
Both countries appear to have a less pressing need to see the strait fully opened. While China has been able to pay the costs of the passage of some of its ships, Russia is benefiting from the rise in oil prices, which is its main export.
Hoping to avoid a veto, Bahrain It has been significantly softened Its proposal to allow defensive – but not offensive – measures to ensure ships can safely transit the strait. The vote was postponed until next week.
To solve the Strait problem, China says a ceasefire is needed. But its plan with Pakistan was met with silence from the United States
One American official said that it is difficult to evaluate the plan because it does not represent a road map for peace as much as it is a vague call to respect international law, the importance of diplomacy and the role of the United Nations.
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Al-Amiri reported from the United Nations.