China is stepping up its mediation efforts in the Middle East, with Foreign Minister Wang Yi meeting Ali Bagheri Kani, Deputy Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, in Beijing on Monday. Wang emphasized that dialogue and negotiation are the only viable path to resolving regional conflicts. On the same day, Chinese President Xi Jinping hosted Sultan Haitham bin Tariq of Oman, who is making his first visit to China since 1978. The two countries signed 14 cooperation documents covering areas such as artificial intelligence, green energy, supply chains, and a currency swap agreement. China's Foreign Ministry also announced that Zhai Jun, Special Envoy for Middle East Affairs, will visit Iran, Oman, and Saudi Arabia this month. In a joint statement, China and Oman called for the restoration of safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and urged the United States and Iran to resume dialogue.