Xi Urges Free Passage Through Hormuz
- Xi publicly called for keeping the Strait of Hormuz open to shipping amid recent regional tensions. - This followed U.S. seizure of the Chinese-bound container ship Touska, increasing Beijing's diplomatic attention. - Analysts say Beijing may use the issue to intensify diplomacy and secure sea lanes for trade (udn.com).
Xi Jinping publicly called for ships to keep moving through the Strait of Hormuz, putting China’s leader directly into the latest crisis around the Gulf shipping lane. (usnews.com) Xi made the appeal on April 20 in a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to Xinhua as reported by Reuters. He said China wanted an “immediate and comprehensive ceasefire” and said normal passage through Hormuz should be maintained. (usnews.com) Beijing’s message came after the United States seized the Iranian-flagged cargo ship Touska over the weekend. China’s foreign ministry called the action a “forced interception” on April 20 and urged all sides to avoid escalation and restore normal transit through the strait. (usnews.com) Reuters reported that Iran’s military said the Touska had been traveling from China, while maritime security sources said the vessel was likely carrying goods Washington considers “dual-use,” meaning items with both civilian and military uses. Iran said the seizure was unlawful and demanded the ship’s release. (yahoo.com) (upi.com) Hormuz is a narrow sea passage between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, and it handles a huge share of the world’s energy trade. The U.S. Energy Information Administration said flows through the strait in 2024 and early 2025 accounted for more than one-quarter of global seaborne oil trade and about one-fifth of global oil and petroleum product consumption. (eia.gov) The International Energy Agency says the bulk of the oil leaving Hormuz goes to Asian buyers, with China, India and Japan among the main importers. That makes open shipping lanes a direct economic issue for Beijing, not only a diplomatic one. (iea.org) China has spent the past two weeks sharpening its language. On April 14, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson called the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports “dangerous and irresponsible,” and on April 20 the same ministry said parties should create conditions for normal transit through Hormuz to resume. (reutersconnect.com) (usnews.com) Shipping companies are still treating the waterway as unsafe even after ceasefire talk. Reuters reported on April 22 that major shipping executives were waiting for “safe and sustainable” passage before sending much oil or cargo through the strait. (usnews.com) The New York Times reported that Xi’s comments reflected China’s balancing act with Iran, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states as Beijing tries to protect oil imports without being pulled into the fighting. Xi’s call for free passage through Hormuz put that balancing act into one sentence: keep trade moving, and keep the war from widening. (nytimes.com)
