Tehran has promised to ensure safe passage for vessels from all countries except those at war with it in the Strait of Hormuz, after Beijing intervened in the US-Iran conflict.
Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on Tuesday told Chinese counterpart Wang Yi during a phone call that the Strait of Hormuz remains open to all and that vessels can pass through safely, though countries at war with Iran are excluded. He said Iran is committed to achieving a comprehensive cessation of hostilities rather than a temporary ceasefire.
Over the past weekend, China decided to act as a mediator in the US-Iran conflict after concluding that further escalation threatened its major energy infrastructure investments in the region.
To achieve this, Beijing must persuade Tehran to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a move that would end disruption to global oil supplies and indirectly help US President Donald Trump ease political pressure from Americans peeved by rising fuel costs.
China must also bring Iranian leaders to the negotiating table to reach a compromise with the US. On Tuesday, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said his country is willing to host talks between the US and Iran to pursue dialogue aimed at ending the war.
On Monday, Trump agreed to hold off attacks on Iran’s power facilities for five days while claiming talks with unspecified Iranians were progressing behind the scenes. At the same time, news broke that the US is about to deploy 2,000 soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division to the Middle East, raising concerns of a possible boots-on-the-ground escalation.
Trump’s climbdown from his earlier threat followed a March 20 meeting in Beijing between Zhai Jun, the Chinese government’s special envoy on the Middle East, and Abdolreza Rahmani Fazli, the Iranian Ambassador to China. The diplomats exchanged views on the current tense situation in the Middle East, according to Chinese state-run Xinhua.
At a media briefing on Monday, Zhai said China “values peace above all” and that its Middle East policy is anchored in promoting reconciliation and stability across the region. Speaking the obvious, he warned that an escalating war in Iran would unleash consequences that could destabilize the region and global energy markets.
“Once Pandora’s box of war is opened, the consequences will be devastating,” he said, condemning all indiscriminate attacks on civilians and non-military targets. “If fighting continues, there will be no winners, and it is ultimately the people of the region who will suffer.”
Zhai warned that the scale, intensity and duration of the conflict have already exceeded last year’s crisis, where the US and Israel bombed Iran, including its nuclear facilities, and called on all parties to halt military operations immediately to prevent further escalation.
He stressed that the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters are vital international trade and energy corridors and that maintaining stability in the region serves the shared interests of the global community. Besides, the conflict has entered its third week, with more than 21,000 casualties reported.
“As long as the conflict continues, our diplomatic mediation efforts will not stop,” he said, adding that China, as a responsible major power, will maintain close communication with all parties to ease tensions and promote regional peace and stability.
Beijing’s change of mind
Since the US launched strikes on Iran and killed its supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, on February 28, the Strait of Hormuz has entered a period of heightened instability, disrupting a critical artery of global oil supply.
As Iran’s largest crude buyer, China had urged Iran in early March to end the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian authorities then told Beijing that Chinese and Russian oil tankers would be allowed safe passage. With that guarantee, Beijing had declined to get involved in the US-Iran war for several weeks.
On March 17, Wu Xinbo, director of the Center for American Studies at Fudan University and an adviser to China’s Foreign Ministry, told the pro-Beijing Hong Kong news outlet China Review News Agency (CRNTT) that it was unsurprising Washington sought Beijing’s help, but China had little incentive to become entangled in an escalating war.
“It is Trump’s war, not ours. Why should we send ships there? What is the purpose of joining the US and its allies against Iran? I don’t think it is wise for China to do so under current circumstances,” Wu said.
A Gansu-based commentator said in an article that Tehran can decide which countries’ vessels may pass through the Strait, and this power has become a strong political lever to pressure US allies to distance themselves from Washington.
The commentator noted that Japan, for example, is a “smart country” that refused to deploy military assets under Trump’s pressure. He says this is why Iran said last week it would allow Japanese ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.
The situation changed, however, as the conflict intensified. On March 18 and 19, Tehran attacked energy facilities across the Middle East, including the world’s largest liquefied natural gas hub in Qatar and a Saudi refinery on the Red Sea, after its oil facilities were bombed by Israel and the US.
The development prompted Zhai to meet with Fazli again on March 20.
“A drawn-out conflict serves no one’s interest. Ceasefire and dialogue are the only way out,” Lin Jian, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, said at a regular media briefing on Tuesday, underscoring Beijing’s repeated call for restraint.
“China is deeply concerned about the continued escalation and spillovers, which have dealt a blow to regional and international peace and stability,” Lin said. “We call on relevant parties to end hostilities immediately and return to the track of peace and dialogue as soon as possible.”
Investment risks grow
On March 21, Trump threatened to attack Iran’s power plants if Tehran did not fully open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours. Iran vowed to retaliate by targeting critical infrastructure across the Middle East and completely closing the Strait.
On March 22, intermediaries representing Iran began relaying messages to Washington, according to reports. Trump said in a social media post on Monday morning that he would suspend his plan to strike Iran’s energy infrastructure for five days, citing what he described as “very good and productive conversations” between the two sides. It’s unclear whether Beijing has played a role in Trump’s suddenly softened tone.
“Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are not only core sources of China’s crude oil and liquefied natural gas imports, but also strategic strongholds where Chinese firms have invested for years,” says a Henan-based columnist writing under the pen name Yi Benge. “China’s presence in these Gulf states has moved beyond trade into deeper partnerships across oil, gas and renewable energy projects.”
“When these massive investments are exposed to the risk of war, a serious question arises: if they are damaged, who will compensate us and who will rebuild them?” Yi writes.
He added that any escalation would threaten project continuity, disrupt logistics and personnel operations and strain China’s overseas energy supply chains, as tensions in the Strait of Hormuz push up insurance costs, reroute tankers and delay deliveries.
Read: Post-Khamenei turmoil puts China’s energy security at risk
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