China on Wednesday expressed support for a ceasefire in the Middle East, emphasizing its role in facilitating a temporary halt to hostilities between the United States and Iran.
The agreement calls for a two-week pause in fighting.
As part of the truce, Tehran has agreed to temporarily reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route for global oil, gas, and fertilizer shipments, providing relief to a strained global economy.
The announcement came just ahead of a deadline set by U.S. President Donald Trump, who had warned that Iran would face obliteration if it refused to negotiate.
Trump told AFP on Tuesday that he believed China, which has been actively mediating since the outbreak of the conflict, played a role in persuading Iran to come to the negotiating table.
“China welcomes relevant parties announcing the reaching of a ceasefire agreement,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular news conference on Wednesday, without directly addressing Trump’s remarks.
“We have repeatedly introduced the efforts made by China,” she added, noting that Foreign Minister Wang Yi had held 26 calls with counterparts from relevant countries, while Beijing’s Middle East envoy had “shuttled across” the war-torn region.
Beijing pledged it would “continue to make efforts to ease the situation and achieve a complete end to the war.”
Under the terms of the ceasefire, the United States will suspend attacks on Iran for two weeks, while Tehran will temporarily reopen the Strait of Hormuz, according to Washington.
Israel expressed support for Trump’s decision to suspend the bombing campaign against Iran but clarified that the ceasefire “does not include Lebanon.”
Meanwhile, Iran has proposed a 10-point plan aimed at securing a resolution to the conflict, which Trump described as “workable.”
