China’s Xi Jinping says Strait of Hormuz should be open in call with Saudi crown prince
Chinese leader says there must be an ‘immediate and comprehensive ceasefire’ and backs diplomatic solution to crisis
The Strait of Hormuz should remain open, Chinese President Xi Jinping has said in a phone call with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
It was the first time the Chinese leader had called for the reopening of the strategically vital waterway, which has been repeatedly blockaded since US-Israeli strikes on Iran began on February 28.
“The Strait of Hormuz should remain open for normal passage, which aligns with the common interest of countries in the region and the international community,” Xi said in Monday’s call.
“China advocates an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire, supports all efforts conducive to restoring peace and insists on resolving disputes through political and diplomatic channels.”
He also said China supported regional nations in “building a shared home of neighbourliness, development, security and cooperation and taking their future and destiny into their own hands” to promote regional peace and stability.
The stalemate in the Strait of Hormuz has choked global oil supply chains, plunged the global energy markets into chaos and dragged down world economic growth.
Pakistan is preparing to host a new round of talks between the US and Iran, but renewed conflict in the region has heightened concerns about the already fragile two-week ceasefire, which is due to expire on Wednesday.
Donald Trump has previously announced that US negotiators would head to Pakistan on Monday for further peace talks, but Iran has said it had no plans to attend the talks – without ruling out the possibility.
The call with Saudi Arabia marked Xi’s second conversation in a week with Middle Eastern leaders calling for a de-escalation in the region.
Last week, when Xi met the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Beijing, Xi unveiled a four-point proposal to safeguard Middle East stability, saying “we must not allow the world to revert to the law of the jungle”.
The US-Israeli attacks on Iran have been a major source of instability. The disruption to global oil supplies caused by the closure of the strait has driven up the cost of transport and consumer goods worldwide – a development that could weaken demand for Chinese exports, a critical foundation of the country’s economy.
While Beijing has large strategic energy reserves, analysts have warned that while the blockade remained in force, its oil supplies would be further depleted and its supply of essential industrial materials come under increasing threat.
Senior Chinese officials have repeatedly called for a ceasefire and have engaged in a series of diplomatic efforts to calm the situation.
This month alone, Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Middle East special envoy Zhai Jun have spoken to officials ranging from the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to Peter Wilson, the British ambassador to China, as part of its drive to promote peace talks.
China’s push for de-escalation has also drawn acknowledgement from Tehran and Washington. Araghchi said he highly appreciated China’s consistent efforts to ease tensions, while Trump said he believed China had helped get Iran to the negotiating table earlier this month.
Iranians dismiss Trump threats to block Hormuz Strait
Last week, Trump said he had exchanged letters with Xi and had urged him not to supply Iran with weapons. China has denied that it was planning to do so.
The war also caused Trump to postpone his planned visit to China – which has now been rescheduled for mid-May – but the US president said he did not think the war would “change the dynamic” of his visit. Beijing has yet to confirm the date for Trump’s visit.
Joe Mazur, the head of geopolitical research, at policy analysis company Trivium China said a prolonged conflict increased the possibility that the US would take aggressive action targeting China.
“A breakdown in China-US ties over Iran would effectively undo months of painstaking effort aimed at putting the relationship on a more even keel and return the two countries to a dangerous state of rivalry,” he wrote in an analysis.