China pushes for key role in Mideast peace efforts as Xi proposes 4-point plan

China's President Xi Jinping proposed a four-point roadmap for promoting lasting peace in the Middle East during a meeting on Tuesday with Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chinese official news agency Xinhua reported.

His proposal calls for the following:

"Safeguard the authority of the international rule of law. It can’t be 'use it when it suits us, discard it when it doesn't,' and we cannot allow the world to revert to the law of the jungle," Xi stated.

The remarks are widely being viewed as a tacit but sharp rebuke of the US-Israeli war on Iran. While China has repeatedly criticised the joint US-Israeli military campaign as illegal, Xi has made only a handful of public comments about the war.

The leader is likely to hold talks with his US counterpart, Donald Trump, in a highly-anticipated meeting in Beijing next month.

Xi made his latest comments about the current war during Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan's visit to Beijing.

The Abu Dhabi Crown Prince's trip comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East after in-person talks between US and Iranian negotiators failed to reach a deal to end the war.

Iran has effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping lane, since early March to vessels it deems from unfriendly nations. On Monday, the US military began a blockade of Iran's ports, accusing Tehran of engaging in "economic terrorism."

Oil shipments from Gulf states, including the UAE, passing through the strategically located waterway have plunged since the armed conflict started.

Iran has also launched missile and drone strikes on energy infrastructure across the Middle East, including those in the UAE.

US-CHINA FRICTION OVER IRAN

Earlier this week, Trump warned that China could be slapped with a staggering 50 per cent tariff rate if the country was found secretly supplying weapons to Iran.

He made the remarks after the US-Iran talks in Islamabad fell through. While responding to reports that China may be preparing to supply military equipment to Iran, he told Fox News that the consequences of such a partnership would be immediate and severe.

"I doubt they would do that... If we catch them doing that, they get a 50 percent tariff, which is a staggering – that's a staggering amount," Trump said.

Moreover, on Tuesday, a China-linked tanker sanctioned by the US crossed the Strait of Hormuz, becoming one of the first ships to make its way through the energy chokepoint after the US military began its blockade of the strait.

Maritime traffic data showed that the vessel, Rich Starry, sailing under a Malawi flag, had reportedly turned back on Monday just as the blockade came into effect. However, it restarted its voyage through the conflict-hit shipping lane after broadcasting that it had a Chinese crew on board.

- Ends

(With inputs from agencies)

Tune In