Xi says for first time Strait of Hormuz should be reopened

Chinese President Xi Jinping said Monday that normal passage through the Strait of Hormuz should be maintained, his first comments on the key waterway a month into its closure by Iran following the U.S.-Israeli strikes on Tehran.

Xi made the comments in a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman, according to China’s state-run media site Xinhua.

Th Chinese leader called for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire and cessation of hostilities in the Middle East and Gulf region, and that normal passage through the Strait of Hormuz “serves the common interest of regional countries and the international community,” Xinhua reported. 

The comments signal that Xi is looking to exercise greater influence surrounding the U.S., Israel and Iran war, with China’s close ties with Tehran and reliance on oil trade suffering under the strait’s effective closure. At the same time, Beijing is balancing ties with Gulf countries who have come under attack from Tehran. 

Last week, Xi met with the President of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The Chinese president stressed the importance of improving ties with Gulf states and “sustainable security architecture” in the region, upholding “international rule of law” and preventing the world “from returning to the law of the jungle.”

A temporary ceasefire is expected to expire on April 22 and it’s still unclear if a second round of talks between U.S. and Iranian officials will take place in Islamabad on Wednesday. President Trump is sending a delegation, but Iran has yet to formally commit to the talks. 

The Iranian regime has effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz by exercising tight control over which ships pass through, reportedly charging tolls for safe passage. Meanwhile, the U.S. has recently imposed a naval blockade on Iranian commercial and oil ships in the Strait, turning back 27 vessels, boarding one commercial ship and on Tuesday, seizing a sanctioned oil tanker.

The strait’s closure has upended the world’s economy, sending oil prices soaring and choking off key supplies of energy and foodstuffs. 

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