China Supports Diplomacy as Trump Announces Extension of Iran Truce
"The current situation in the region is at a critical stage. The pressing priority is to prevent, by all means, a relapse into fighting," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told reporters in Beijing.
Guo further stated that China backs all involved parties in pursuing political and diplomatic channels to resolve the standoff, with the ultimate goal of securing a comprehensive, enduring ceasefire and preserving stability across the Middle East.
Beijing's statement followed Trump's announcement Tuesday that Washington would grant Tehran more time to prepare a coordinated offer — a decision he said came at the direct request of Pakistani leadership. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Trump revealed that Pakistan's army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had personally urged the US to hold off on renewed military action while a joint proposal took shape.
The ceasefire, which had frozen the US-Israeli war against Iran following its initiation on April 8, had been set to lapse Wednesday before Trump's extension intervened.
A second round of direct negotiations between US and Iranian officials is anticipated in Islamabad this week, though the talks face an early obstacle: Tehran has conditioned its attendance on Washington lifting its naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
The broader conflict traces back to Feb. 28, when American and Israeli forces launched coordinated strikes against Iran, triggering a wave of retaliatory attacks by Tehran against US assets and military installations throughout the region. Islamabad subsequently hosted what became the most senior-level direct engagement between Washington and Tehran since the two nations severed diplomatic relations in 1979 — a landmark session held April 11–12.
Tensions over the waterway remain volatile. Iran temporarily relinquished its grip on the Strait of Hormuz last Friday, only to reassert control the following day after Trump signaled that the blockade of Iranian ports would remain firmly in place.
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