Beijing, Rather Than Islamabad, Is Driving Diplomacy To End Iran War

As Pakistan gears up to host a new round of talks and President Trump prepares for a summit with Chairman Xi Jinping, it is Beijing — rather than Islamabad — that is emerging as the real engine behind attempts to negotiate a war-ending American-Iranian pact. Mr. Trump often praises Pakistan, and is fond of the country’s military chief, his “favorite Field Marshal,” Asim Munir. While Pakistan needs America’s support, though, its top benefactor is Communist China. Additionally, the Sunni-majority Pakistan is allied with Saudi Arabia and Turkey, but has little real sway over the Islamic Republic. Communist China, in contrast, is tightly allied with Tehran. The Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Aaraghchi, is spending days at Beijing, meeting his counterpart, Wang Yi, and other top officials. Mr. Trump is scheduled to visit the Chinese capital next Tuesday and Wednesday. America and Iran must “seek harmony in diversity and become partners rather than adversaries,” Mr. Wang told the state-owned news agency Xinhua on Thursday. Beijing, though, is America’s top global competitor, so can it be an honest broker? “China is not about Pakistan, China is not about Iran. China is mostly bothered about the U.S.,” the executive editor at the New Delhi-based Hindustan Times, Shishir Gupta, tells the Sun. Even while it depends on oil flowing through the Strait of Hormuz, Beijing’s ambassador to the United Nation is likely to veto an America-backed resolution at the Security Council, which would condemn Iran and demand free navigation at Hormuz. “We’re choosing to stand with the freedom of navigation, we’re choosing to stand with international law,” the American ambassador at the UN, Mike Waltz, told reporters Thursday. Hinting at Beijing and Moscow, he added, “We have to ask ourselves, if a country chooses to oppose such a simple proposition, do they really want peace?”Beijing has long considered the Islamic Republic a counterweight to America’s Mideast allies. Throughout the war, it quietly aided Iran, providing satellite images that are helping the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps target American assets and exporting components meant to replenish Iran’s ballistic missile and drone arsenals. China is eager to open the Strait of Hormuz through negotiations and end the American blockade of Iran’s sanctioned oil deliveries. At the same time, Beijing is less interested in ending Iran’s nuclear ambitions, which is Mr. Trump’s oft-repeated top war goal.This week Mr. Wang told Mr. Araghchi that China supports Iran’s “legitimate right” to enrich uranium. America insists no such right exists, and demands a suspension of enrichment on Iranian soil for at least two decades.Pakistan, meanwhile, is caught between its allies at Washington and its Beijing benefactors. As Field Marshal Munir negotiates with the Trump team, Islamabad is closely consulting with the Chinese and updating them on developments, Mr. Gupta says. Islamabad’s success, he adds, depends on “how much it can accommodate both the U.S. and China.” And, he adds, “Pakistan has always been an arsonist as well as a firefighter.” Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait reportedly reversed a decision on closing American bases on their soil on Thursday. Now America is ready to resume “Project Freedom” to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz. For now, Mr. Trump also says he would maintain the blockade of Iranian ships in the region. America has reportedly presented Iran with a one-page, 12-point plan to launch talks on a future war-ending agreement. As of this writing Mr. Trump indicates that the diplomacy has yet to merit a trip to Islamabad by his top negotiator, Steve Witkoff, and son-in-law Jared Kushner. It would be a “wasted time,” he said recently. The Islamic Republic’s traditional tactic has been to drag out negotiations in order to gain time and recoup losses. Mr. Trump, in contrast, said talks can be concluded “within a week.” That timeline coincides with his Beijing trip, scheduled to take place next week. Back in March, Pakistan’s foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, traveled to Beijing for a meeting with Mr. Wang. The two came up with a five-point plan that led to the April 12 meeting at Islamabad between top American and Iranian officials. A ceasefire was declared, ostensibly ending operation “Epic Fury.” The deal hinged on opening the Strait of Hormuz. The strait remains closed, which bodes ill for any future deals with Iran.

Beijing, Rather Than Islamabad, Is Driving Diplomacy To End Iran War

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