Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing would play a “bigger role” in ending hostilities in the Middle East during talks with his Iranian counterpart on Wednesday, a week before US President Donald Trump meets Xi Jinping.
China is a key customer for Iranian oil, defying sanctions imposed by the United States, and is directly affected by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz that borders Iran.
Beijing has been quietly engaged in efforts to resolve the week-long crisis, and its diplomacy is credited with playing an important role in the fragile ceasefire agreed between Washington and Tehran.
China “will work harder to ease tensions and end fighting, continue to support the launch of peace talks and play a greater role in restoring peace and tranquility in the Middle East,” Wang told Iran’s Abbas Araghchi in Beijing.
“China considers that a complete cessation of hostilities must be achieved without delay, that it is even more unacceptable to resume hostilities, and that the continuation of negotiations remains essential,” Wang said, according to a statement from his ministry after the talks.
Manufacturing giant China has been relatively protected from fuel shortages thanks to oil reserves and renewable energy, but the costs of oil-derived materials such as plastics and fabrics have risen sharply.
More than half of the crude oil imported by sea to China comes from the Middle East and mostly transits through the Strait of Hormuz, according to maritime analytics firm Kpler.
Analysts have warned that the impact of the war in China will be felt for months.
During Wednesday’s talks, Wang said China hopes “stakeholders will respond as soon as possible to the international community’s urgent call” for a resumption of normal and safe maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump’s trip is approaching
The Wang-Araghchi talks came after Trump said the US would stop escorting merchant ships through the Strait of Hormuz – which has drawn Iranian attacks – just a day after he began doing so.
Trump mentioned wanting to reach a peace deal with Iran.
Washington is demanding tighter controls on Tehran’s nuclear program, which Iran has refused to acknowledge and has led to a breakdown in talks.
“On the nuclear issue, China welcomes Iran’s commitment not to develop nuclear weapons, while it considers that Iran has a legitimate right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy,” Wang said.
The American leader is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi in Beijing for a visit that the White House said will take place on May 14-15.
Beijing has not confirmed those dates.
A foreign ministry spokesman again declined to share details when asked about Trump’s visit at a regular press conference on Wednesday.
Trump would join rulers from the Gulf, Europe and Southeast Asia who have recently clashed with Xi, who has sought to position China as a stable partner in the face of the US-Israeli-led conflict.
Trump’s visit would also come more than a year after his sweeping global tariffs wreaked havoc on the supply chain, wreaking havoc on China’s manufacturing sector.
