On Thursday in Beijing, US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping talked about the volatile Strait of Hormuz during a time when limited shipping has started back through this major shipping corridor because of the ongoing conflict between the United States and Israel against the Government of Iran.
According to the White House, President Trump and President Xi had a “good” meeting, and both concluded that the Strait of Hormuz must be kept “open to ensure the free flow of energy.” Additionally, President Xi clearly indicated to President Trump that China does not approve of the militarisation of the Strait nor does it support imposing any tolls upon vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
During an interview with Fox News, President Trump discussed that President Xi clearly stated that China “will not provide military equipment to Iran” and that China has an interest in keeping the Strait of Hormuz open because of the large number of barrels of oil that it imports from the region. There is no mention of Iran or the Strait of Hormuz in the summary of the meeting by the Chinese Government.
As of the time this conflict started in late February, Iran has virtually closed the strait to shipping, with the only exception being a few vessels. The Strait of Hormuz serves as one of the most important shipping channels in the world, as approximately 20% of the world’s oil passes through the strait, which has resulted in sharp increases in fuel prices and other disruptions in energy supplies. There has been a special documentary developed by Iran to allow some vessels to resume shipping through the Strait. A Chinese vessel on Tuesday successfully made the crossing of the Strait of Hormuz without incident. Since Tuesday, approximately thirty vessels have been reported to have successfully crossed the Strait of Hormuz according to the Iranian State Media.
The US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it has redirected 70 commercial vessels and disabled four others to enforce a blockade on Iranian ports. Recent incidents include the seizure of a ship off the UAE and the sinking of an Indian-flagged vessel in Omani waters.
Negotiations to end the conflict remain stalled, with Washington demanding Iran surrender enriched uranium and Tehran seeking sanctions relief and recognition of its sovereignty over the strait.