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Sources said China’s anxiety over the Iran war’s impact on its economy is deepening as slowing GDP growth has made Beijing increasingly sensitive to external shocks
Sources said Pakistani deputy prime minister and foreign minister Ishaq Dar is visiting Beijing on March 30, 2026. (Image: AFP/File)
Pakistan’s diplomatic push to position itself as the primary mediator between the United States and Iran amid the ongoing conflict in West Asia is driven by China’s bid to protect regional stability and vital economic corridors, sources said.
According to top intelligence sources, a proposed delegation of four, including Pakistani deputy prime minister and foreign minister Ishaq Dar, is visiting Beijing on Tuesday (March 31). Apart from Dar, the delegation will likely have NSA/ISI D-G Lt General Asim Malik, interior minister Mohsin Naqvi, and former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
The intelligence sources told News18 that Dar’s visit to China indicates that the push for de-escalation in West Asia is now a macroeconomic necessity for both Islamabad and its “all-weather friend” Beijing. This is due to China’s deepening anxiety over the Iran war’s impact on its economy.
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The sources said with Chinese GDP growth slowing from pre-pandemic highs of 6.5 percent to an estimated 4.5 to 5 percent range, Beijing is increasingly sensitive to external shocks. The Strait of Hormuz, which is a key energy waterway, plays a central role as nearly 40 to 45 percent of China’s crude oil imports pass through it.
They said any Iran-linked escalation that results in mining, disruption attacks, or insurance spikes will immediately hit Chinese refineries and drive up domestic fuel prices, further endangering its fragile growth. China is, hence, pushing Pakistan to lead negotiations to prevent a regional crisis from dismantling billions of dollars in investments.
The stakes, the sources said, are particularly high for the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). As the project transitions into ‘CPEC 2.0’ – focusing on industry, agriculture, and mining – the stability of the surrounding region is paramount to ensuring these long-term investments bear fruit.
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During a recent telephonic conversation, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi expressed full support for Pakistan’s initiative to host US-Iran talks, the sources said. But Pakistan’s self-styled role as an “honest broker” is viewed with scepticism.
The sources further said Islamabad is reportedly performing a complex “double game” attempting to balance its obligations to the Muslim ummah with its strategic ties to both the US and China. While Pakistani officials are carrying messages of how both Washington and Tehran have expressed confidence in their role as a mediator, the ground reality remains murky.
They said at present, there is no public evidence that the US has formally accepted Pakistan as an intermediary.
“No American has come to Islamabad, and they have not shown any sign that Pakistan is acting as a mediator,” a source said.
The sources also said despite this, Pakistan continues to build the diplomatic groundwork with the explicit goal of ensuring that if direct US-Iran talks occur, they take place on Pakistani soil. By securing the role of “chief negotiator”, Islamabad hopes to insulate its domestic growth from the fallout of a West Asian conflict.
By taking China into confidence following quadrilateral meetings, the sources said, Pakistan is attempting to prove its utility as a regional pivot point ensuring that Chinese energy supplies and CPEC investments remain secure even as global tensions rise.
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The war has threatened global supplies of oil and natural gas, sparked fertiliser shortages and disrupted air travel. Iran’s grip on the strategic Strait of Hormuz has shaken markets and prices. The Houthis’ entry could further hurt global shipping if they again target vessels in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait off the Red Sea, through which about 12 percent of the world’s trade typically passes.
Even as regional powers were meeting in Pakistan to discuss how to end the fighting in West Asia, at least 2,500 US Marines arrived in the region and Iranian-backed Houthi rebels entered the war.
Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibafmeanwhile, said Iranian forces “are waiting for the arrival of American troops on the ground to set them on fire and punish their regional partners forever”.
“Our firing continues. Our missiles are in place. Our determination and faith have increased,” Qalibaf said.
Islamabad, Pakistan
March 30, 2026, 4:39 PM IST
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