China urges peace talks in Iran war

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BEIJING - China on March 26 urged parties to the Middle East conflict to “create conditions for starting truly meaningful and sincere peace talks”.

“The pressing priority is to actively promote peace talks, seize the opportunity of peace and promote the cessation of the war,” Mr Lin Jian, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesman, said at a regular briefing when asked if China was aware of any ongoing negotiations between Iran and the United States.

His remarks come after China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on March 25 that he saw “a glimmer of hope for peace” in the wake of signals about negotiations between the US and Iran.

Earlier in the week, Iran denied that it had engaged in negotiations with the US, after President Donald Trump delayed a threat to bomb Iran’s power grid citing what he described as productive talks with unidentified Iranian officials.

Iran’s foreign minister on March 25 said the country was reviewing a US proposal to end the war but had ​no intention of holding talks.

China’s foreign ministry did not disclose if it was aware of any negotiations between Washington and Tehran, but Mr Wang expressed cautious optimism in a phone call with his Egyptian counterpart on March 25.

“The situation in the Middle East is changing rapidly, with both the US and Iran releasing signals about negotiations, offering a glimmer of hope for peace,” Mr Wang said, according to a summary of the conversation released by his ministry.

“As long as talks begin, there is hope for peace,” Mr Wang added.

In a separate call with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi on March 24, Mr Wang urged all sides to “seize every opportunity and window for peace, and initiate the process for peace talks as soon as possible”, the Chinese ministry said. REUTERS