China says Islamabad US-Iran talks a step towards de-escalation, hopes ceasefire holds

China said on Monday that the US-Iran talks in Islamabad were a step towards de-escalation, expressing hope that both parties will maintain the ceasefire. "US-Iran negotiation in Islamabad was a step towards de-escalation. China hopes the ceasefire will be kept, disputes will be resolved through political and diplomatic means rather than reigniting the flames of war, and conditions will be created for an early return of peace to the Gulf," a spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China Lin Jian said in a post on X. The U.S.-Iran negotiation in Islamabad was a step towards de-escalation. China hopes the ceasefire will be kept, disputes will be resolved through political and diplomatic means rather than reigniting the flames of war, and conditions will be created for an early return of peace… pic.twitter.com/VDU95i8jfW — Lin Jian 林剑 (@SpoxCHN_LinJian) April 13, 2026 Jian also called for ending the United States–Iran dispute at the earliest, terming the military conflict the root cause of disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz. "The root cause of disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz is the military conflict. To solve the issue, the conflict must stop as soon as possible. All parties need to remain calm and exercise restraint," he added. Nearly 24-hour-long negotiations between the United States and Iran concluded in Islamabad on Sunday with both sides digging in on core demands yet leaving the door open for further engagement. The talks, which began on Saturday afternoon, initially took place indirectly before transitioning into rare face-to-face engagement. Negotiations stretched deep into the night and into Sunday morning, underscoring both the complexity of the issues and the seriousness of the effort. For Pakistan, hosting the talks was both a diplomatic gamble and an opportunity to reassert its relevance on the global stage. In a televised statement at the conclusion of the talks, Dar thanked both sides for responding to Islamabad's call for a ceasefire and agreeing to negotiations.