washington, April 10 -- As Donald Trump neared his self-imposed deadline to extinguish Iran's "entire civilisation," it became apparent one country had enough clout to convince Tehran to deescalate: America's biggest rival, China. In the hours after a ceasefire publicly brokered by Pakistan was announced, Iranian officials reportedly credited a last-minute push by China with securing their acceptance, a claim soon after validated by Trump. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked China for its support, while the White House said Beijing's role in the truce took place at the "top levels" of the US and Chinese governments. China hasn't confirmed - or denied - reports of its pivotal part in brokering the detente, and President Xi Jinpin...