China asks Pakistan to intensify Middle East mediation efforts: State media

China has urged Pakistan to intensify mediation efforts between Iran and the United States and help ensure the “proper” reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, according to Chinese state media.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the appeal during a phone call with Pakistan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday, state-run Xinhua reported.

The conversation comes ahead of US President Donald Trump’s expected arrival in Beijing on Wednesday for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. China remains one of Iran’s closest strategic and economic partners.

According to Xinhua, Wang called on Pakistan to “step up mediation efforts” and help “properly address issues related to reopening the Strait of Hormuz,” a critical global energy shipping route.

“China will continue to support Pakistan’s mediation efforts and make its own contribution toward this end,” Wang said, as quoted by the Chinese state news agency.

Pakistan has increasingly positioned itself as a mediator between Washington and Tehran as the two sides continue negotiations aimed at reaching a peace agreement following recent hostilities.

Meanwhile, Iran on Tuesday rejected suggestions that it revise its proposals in the ongoing talks, after Trump reportedly dismissed them as “garbage.”