Beijing, March 31 China and Pakistan on Tuesday presented a five-point peace proposal to end the conflict in West Asia, including a call for safe passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz.
The peace proposal was put forward after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with visiting Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on the Iran situation.
Dar arrived here to brief Wang about his recent talks with the foreign ministers of Turkey, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia to promote talks between the US and Iran to end the ongoing conflict.
Following the talks between Dar and Wang, the two countries presented five proposals to restore peace and stability in the Gulf region and West Asia, as well as safe passage through the Strait.
The proposals included the immediate cessation of hostilities, initiating peace talks as soon as possible, ensuring the safety of non-military targets and safe navigation, and safeguarding the primacy of the UN Charter.
The Strait of Hormuz, along with its adjacent waters, is an important global shipping route for goods and energy, a joint statement issued after their talks said.
"China and Pakistan call on the parties to protect the security of ships and crew members stranded in the Strait of Hormuz, allow the early and safe passage of civilian and commercial ships, and restore normal passage through the Strait as soon as possible," Pakistani media reported, quoting the joint statement.
Earlier, China said that three of its ships carrying oil supplies had passed through the Strait of Hormuz and thanked the relevant parties for their facilitation and coordination.
Following coordination with relevant parties, three Chinese ships recently transited the Strait of Hormuz. We express appreciation for the assistance of the relevant parties," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a media briefing here, without naming Iran, which is currently controlling the movement of oil shipments from the Gulf crossing the Strait.
Iran is demanding international recognition of its sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.
The Strait of Hormuz and its surrounding waters are an important route for international trade in goods and energy. China calls for an immediate end to hostilities to restore peace and stability in the Gulf, Mao said.
This is the first time that China, a large importer of Iranian oil for years despite US sanctions, has spoken of its ships crossing the Strait of Hormuz amid reports that Iran is allowing Chinese ships to cross the Strait given the close strategic ties.
Since the US and Israel attacked Iran, China has been calling on all countries to immediately stop military operations.
Beijing has also been calling for keeping the Strait of Hormuz open, as its closure resulted in widespread disruption of fuel supplies.
While condemning the attacks on Iran, China is also preparing for US President Donald Trump's visit scheduled for May 14-15, during which expectations are high to finalize a trade deal between the two countries.