China urged all parties involved in the current Middle East conflict to ensure safety and stability in the Strait of Hormuz, according to AFP.
“China urges all parties to immediately cease military operations, avoid further escalation of tensions, maintain the safety of shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz, and prevent a greater impact on the global economy,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular news conference on Tuesday.
Beijing also pledged to take all necessary measures to safeguard its national energy security amid the joint US-Israel attacks on Iran that began on Saturday.
Tehran has responded to these strikes with a wave of counterattacks in Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi as a retaliatory move, while launching barrages of missiles and drones toward Israel.
As a critical maritime chokepoint, the Strait of Hormuz handles approximately a quarter of the world’s seaborne oil and roughly one‑fifth of all liquefied natural gas flows.
Due to the escalating tensions, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps declared on Saturday that the waterway was unsafe. Therefore, the authorities halted ship movements.
“Energy security is of great importance to the global economy… China will take necessary measures to ensure its energy security,” Mao Ning said.
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