Xi puts forward 4-point Mideast peace proposal

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday put forward a four-point proposal to promote peace and stability in the Middle East during a meeting with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Beijing.

Xi called for adherence to the principle of peaceful coexistence, stressing the need to build a "common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable" security architecture for the Middle East and the Gulf region.

The war between the US and Iran, which started on April 28, marked a sharp escalation in regional tensions, with Washington, alongside Israel, launching an intense military campaign targeting thousands of Iranian sites from land, sea and air.

Within days, over 5,000 targets were struck, focusing on military infrastructure, missile capabilities and naval assets, in an apparent bid to neutralise Iran's perceived threat to Israel.

Despite the scale of the offensive, the campaign revealed little in terms of a broader political or strategic roadmap, raising concerns among analysts about its long-term consequences and the risk of wider instability across the Middle East, including the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the death of Iran's top leadership.

Xi further urged adherence to the principle of national sovereignty, saying the sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of countries in the Middle East and the Gulf region should be fully respected, while ensuring the safety of personnel, facilities and institutions.

On the principle of international rule of law, Xi said its authority must be upheld to prevent the world from "falling back into the law of the jungle".

He added that development and security should be coordinated, urging all parties to work together to create a favourable environment for the development of countries in the Middle East and the Gulf region.

Separately, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, during a meeting with Xi in Beijing, opposed a "new cold war", decoupling and the severing of supply chains.

Sanchez said Spain supports enhanced communication, mutual understanding and cooperation between Europe and China, adding that Madrid values Beijing's status as a major country.

China's foreign ministry said on Tuesday that a US blockade of Iranian ports is "dangerous and irresponsible", warning it would only aggravate tensions. It did not mention whether Chinese ships were passing through the strait. Agencies