Beijing: Chinese leader Xi Jinping met Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in Beijing on Monday, state media said, as international diplomatic efforts to bring an end to the war in Iran continued without a clear breakthrough, AFP reported.
The meeting, reported by state news agency Xinhua, came after Sharif held talks earlier in the day with Premier Li Qiang, China’s number‑two leader. Pakistan’s army chief, General Asim Munir, who has been Islamabad’s principal interlocutor between the United States and Iran, accompanied Sharif on the trip, Pakistan television showed.
Chinese state media did not immediately publish details of the discussions.
Pakistan has become a central mediator between Washington and Tehran, hosting historic face‑to‑face negotiations last month that failed to produce a lasting settlement. China’s role has been more discreet, arranging phone calls and meetings with officials from Gulf countries affected by the conflict.
Speaking in Beijing alongside General Munir, Sharif said “the world is passing through a critical moment,” Pakistan’s state‑run PTV channel reported. He defended Pakistan’s role, saying, “Pakistan has played a sincere role to mediate between US and Iran. Field marshal was in Tehran and did not want to miss this great visit.”
“Things are moving in the right direction. I would like to thank China’s support to promote peace,” Sharif added.
Sharif’s four‑day official visit to China began in Hangzhou in eastern Zhejiang province on Saturday. The trip follows General Munir’s visit to Tehran on Friday and Saturday, where he travelled with Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi as part of ongoing mediation efforts to end the war.
China said it would work with Pakistan to “make positive contributions to the early restoration of peace and stability in the Middle East,” according to official statements.
Pakistan hosted in April the only direct negotiations between US and Iranian officials since the outbreak of hostilities. General Munir drew attention during that round, greeting both delegations on arrival and appearing cordial with US Vice President J.D. Vance.
But those talks ultimately collapsed, with Iran accusing the United States of making “excessive demands,” leaving the mediation process unresolved.
