PM Shehbaz, Li Qiang Discuss US-Iran Mediation Progress in Beijing
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has called on China and Pakistan to stand firmly together in restoring peace across the Middle East, making the appeal during high-level talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Monday. The meeting covered significant ground, with PM Shehbaz crediting Beijing's diplomatic role in facilitating the US-Iran ceasefire and expressing confidence that the regional situation is moving in the right direction.
In remarks aligned with both capitals' stated interest in regional stability, Shehbaz noted that meaningful progress had been achieved through Pakistan-China mediation channels, describing the trajectory of US-Iran negotiations as encouraging. The Pakistani premier's framing positions Islamabad as an active participant in the broader diplomatic architecture now shaping the Middle East.
The bilateral engagement comes as Iran separately signalled that conclusions had been reached on several key topics in a potential US-Iran memorandum, though Tehran cautioned that no formal deal is imminent. The pace of diplomacy has been sufficient, however, to move oil markets, with crude prices slipping approximately five dollars per barrel on expectations of an eventual settlement.
For Pakistan, the optics of the Li Qiang meeting carry dual weight: reinforcing the China-Pakistan strategic partnership while projecting Islamabad as a constructive regional actor at a moment of elevated international attention on South and West Asian geopolitics.
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