China Envoy Calls for US-Iran Ceasefire05/06 06:15

   China's foreign minister on Wednesday called for a comprehensive ceasefire 
in the Iran war, in comments that could inject new energy into stalled efforts 
to end the two-month conflict between the United States and Iran.

   BEIJING (AP) -- China's foreign minister on Wednesday called for a 
comprehensive ceasefire in the Iran war, in comments that could inject new 
energy into stalled efforts to end the two-month conflict between the United 
States and Iran.

   Wang Yi said his country was "deeply distressed" by the conflict. He spoke 
after meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, who was visiting 
Beijing for the first time since the war with the U.S. and Israel started Feb. 
28.

   China's close economic and political ties to Tehran give it a unique 
position of influence. The Trump administration is pressing China to use that 
relationship to urge the Islamic Republic to open the Strait of Hormuz.

   The Chinese minister's comments followed an earlier statement by U.S. 
President Donald Trump that he was pausing his short-lived U.S. effort to guide 
stranded commercial vessels out of the Strait of Hormuz in hopes that a deal 
could be finalized. A shaky ceasefire has been largely holding, despite 
exchanges of fire during the U.S. push to reopen the strait on Monday.

   Iran's effective closure of the strait, a vital waterway through which major 
oil and gas supplies, fertilizer and other petroleum products passed before the 
war, has sent fuel prices skyrocketing, rattled the global economy and put 
enormous economic pressure on countries, including major powers like China.

   Trump also due to visit China

   Araghchi's visit to China comes ahead of a planned visit by Trump to Beijing 
for a high-profile summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping on May 14-15. The 
trip would be Trump's first to China during his second term and the first by a 
U.S. president since Trump visited in 2017.

   "We believe that a comprehensive ceasefire is urgently needed, that a 
resumption of hostilities is not acceptable, and that it is particularly 
important to remain committed to dialogue and negotiations," Wang said, 
according to a video of the meeting.

   The Chinese foreign minister said the conflict "has already lasted for more 
than two months. It has not only caused serious losses to the Iranian people, 
but also had a severe impact on regional and global peace. China is deeply 
distressed by this."

   U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed hope that Beijing would 
reiterate the need for Iran to release its chokehold on the strait, which would 
deny its main leverage as Trump demands a major rollback of Tehran's disputed 
nuclear program.

   "I hope the Chinese tell him what he needs to be told," Rubio said during a 
White House briefing Tuesday. "And that is that what you are doing in the 
strait is causing you to be globally isolated. You're the bad guy in this."

   China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said Beijing has made clear 
that the relevant sides must act "with prudence" and resolve the conflict 
through dialogue in order to restore peace. He added that China has been 
actively promoting peace talks and will continue to do so.

   In a statement published on the ministry's website about Wang's meeting with 
Araghchi, the foreign ministry said China values Iran's pledge not to pursue 
nuclear weapons while affirming its "legitimate right to the peaceful use of 
nuclear energy."

   Trump pauses effort to guide ships out of strait

   Hundreds of merchant ships remain bottled up in the Persian Gulf. The U.S. 
said it had opened a safe shipping lane Monday and sunk six small Iranian boats 
that had threatened commercial ships in the strait. Only two merchant ships are 
known to have passed through the U.S.-guarded route.

   But Trump announced he was pausing the effort, dubbed Project Freedom, to 
see whether an agreement with Tehran on ending the war could be reached.

   In a social media post Tuesday, Trump said the move was based "on the 
request of Pakistan and other Countries, the tremendous Military Success that 
we have had during the Campaign against the Country of Iran and, additionally, 
the fact that Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final 
Agreement with Representatives of Iran."

   Pakistan has been mediating between the U.S. and Iran, and had hosted peace 
talks between the two sides.

   On Wednesday, Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked Trump for 
what he described as a timely announcement of a pause in the effort to guide 
ships out of the strait.

   In a post on X, Sharif said Trump's response to requests from Pakistan and 
other countries, particularly Saudi Arabia, would help advance regional peace, 
stability and reconciliation.

   "Pakistan remains firmly committed to supporting all efforts that promote 
restraint and a peaceful resolution of conflicts through dialogue and 
diplomacy," Sharif said. "We are very hopeful that the current momentum will 
lead to a lasting agreement that secures durable peace and stability for the 
region and beyond."