China wants a seat at the Middle East peace table, but without the work

April 3, 2026 — 1:30pm

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Beijing: In between NASA astronauts blasting off for the moon, Anthony Albanese’s prime-time appeal to keep calm and carry on, and Donald Trump’s threat to bomb Iran “back to the Stone Ages”, you might’ve missed that China has devised a plan for peace in our time.

Unfortunately for Beijing, an avalanche of major global news overshadowed the release of its five-point plan for “restoring peace and stability” in the Middle East, which it jointly proposed with Pakistan this week. But it’s also struggled to get serious traction for another reason.

Trump’s war in Iran has gifted China a stronger narrative to pitch itself as the more stable, responsible superpower, but when it comes to its peace-brokering chops, Beijing has a credibility deficit.

This is not China’s first peace proposal. There have been many over the past decade. Much like its previous offerings – including, a 12-point plan to end the war in Ukraine and a three-point plan for a “lasting solution to the Palestine issue”, both proposed in 2023 – this latest........

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