Global media professionals urged Europe to strengthen cooperation with China in interviews with China Media Group (CMG) at the Munich Security Conference (MSC).
Amid profound and complex changes in the international landscape, both Europe and China have sent positive signals on enhancing communication and expanding cooperation at the conference. Several foreign journalists told CMG that Europe is actively advancing its relations with China and that the two sides enjoy broad prospects for cooperation across multiple fields, making closer collaboration both necessary and beneficial.
"As far as I'm concerned, China can be a friend to the world. It doesn't have to be a threat. We can all work together to our mutual benefit. Let's work to save the planet we have and stop fighting each other when we can just have so much benefit by working together," said Nick Holdsworth, a British journalist.
"I think it (the cooperation between China and Europe) is important also. It makes it more important, the fact that we see the Trump administration advertising for unilateralism. And on the other side, we see that China is coming here to an international conference to say that we need to respect multilateralism, and this is the way forward in the world. And this is where I think it's the most important," said Raghida Bahnam, a German journalist.
Global media professionals call for stronger Europe-China cooperation at MSC
Iran and the United States remained locked in disagreement over control of the Strait of Hormuz during talks in Islamabad, the Pakistani capital, on Saturday, with the Islamic Republic flatly rejecting an American proposal for "joint management" of the strategic waterway.
Two sources familiar with the negotiations said Iranian negotiators insisted on retaining full control of the Strait, including the right to levy transit fees on vessels passing through the key maritime chokepoint.
The issue has emerged as a major sticking point in the negotiations between the two sides, which began on Saturday.
Tensions over the Strait have escalated in recent days.
On Saturday, the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that two American guided-missile destroyers, the USS Frank E. Peterson and USS Michael Murphy, transited the Strait and commenced mine-sweeping operations in the Strait of Hormuz.
CENTCOM described the operation as part of an effort to clear mines allegedly laid by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps and to establish a new safety corridor for commercial shipping.
Brad Cooper, commander of CENTCOM, said the new corridor would be opened to the maritime industry soon to facilitate the free flow of commerce. He stressed that the Strait, a vital international waterway, is crucial for regional and global economies.
Additional U.S. forces, including underwater drones, will join the clearance effort in the coming days.
Iran, however, has categorically denied the U.S. account.
On Saturday, a spokesperson for Iran's Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters rejected the American claim that its warships had approached or entered the Strait. The spokesperson reaffirmed that Iran maintains full control over transit through the waterway.
The conflicting statements came as delegations from Iran and the United States are currently in Islamabad for talks on easing tensions in the Middle East after a ceasefire was achieved between the two countries early Wednesday.
Following a meeting between senior officials, Iranian and U.S. expert and technical teams had reached the stage of exchanging texts to develop a joint framework for further talks.
However, the third round of U.S.-Iran negotiations concluded with "serious disagreements," the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported Sunday. According to Tasnim, the Strait of Hormuz and several other issues remain sources of "serious disagreement" in the negotiations held in Pakistan.
Iran's government said on social media that despite the disagreements, negotiations will continue.
The Iranian delegation at the talks includes Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, speaker of the Iranian Parliament; Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi; and Ali Bagheri, a member of Iran's Supreme National Security Council.
The U.S. side is represented by Vice President J.D. Vance, President's Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff, and Special Peace Envoy Jared Kushner.
Iranian officials have previously signaled that any outcome must preserve the country's military achievements and safeguard the rights of its people, underscoring the high stakes of the discussions over the strategic waterway.
Iran, U.S. at odds over control of Strait of Hormuz as Tehran rejects joint management
