Chinese President Xi Jinping called for the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and an urgent ceasefire in the U.S.-Iran conflict during a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday, April 20, 2025.
The call came as Beijing intensified diplomatic efforts to stabilize the Gulf amid growing fears that the fragile U.S.-Iran ceasefire, brokered with Chinese assistance earlier in the year, was unraveling after Washington seized an Iranian cargo ship and Tehran signaled it would not join new peace talks.
Xi emphasized that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open for normal maritime passage, framing it as a shared interest of regional states and the international community, according to a readout released by Chinese state media and reported by Reuters.
He reiterated China’s longstanding position that the conflict should be resolved through political and diplomatic channels, not military escalation, and urged all parties to uphold the existing ceasefire agreement.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry had earlier expressed concern over what it described as the “forcible interception” of the Iranian vessel by the U.S. Navy, warning that such actions risked reigniting broader hostilities.
Xi’s remarks marked the first time he had directly addressed the closure of the Strait, a critical chokepoint through which roughly one-fifth of global oil trade passes, despite weeks of similar warnings from Chinese diplomats.
His call with the Saudi crown prince followed a meeting in Beijing the previous week with the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, during which Xi also stressed adherence to international law and warned against a return to “the law of the jungle” in global affairs.
In the same conversation, Xi told Saudi leadership that China supports regional nations in determining their own futures while promoting long-term stability — a subtle signal of Beijing’s growing diplomatic engagement in the Gulf without direct military involvement.
As the world’s largest importer of Iranian crude, China has a direct stake in the outcome: data from Kpler shows Chinese refiners purchased more than 80% of Iran’s oil exports in 2024, making Beijing both a key economic actor and a potential mediator in the crisis.
The timing of Xi’s appeal is notable, coming just weeks before he is set to host U.S. President Donald Trump in Beijing for a high-stakes summit where trade, technology, and regional security are expected to dominate discussions.
While Trump has claimed credit for reopening the Strait through unilateral action, Chinese state media have not confirmed any such agreement, and Beijing continues to advocate for a multilateral diplomatic path forward.
Despite public alignment on the need for de-escalation, underlying tensions persist: the U.S. Maintains its blockade on Iranian shipping, Iran has restricted foreign vessels from transiting the Strait since February, and regional actors remain wary of being drawn into a wider conflict.
Xi’s diplomatic outreach reflects a broader Chinese strategy of positioning itself as a stabilizing force in global hotspots where it has economic interests but seeks to avoid direct confrontation — a approach evident in its recent engagements across the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe.
The effectiveness of Beijing’s mediation will depend on whether Washington and Tehran can be brought back to the negotiating table, and whether regional powers like Saudi Arabia and the UAE will align with or resist Chinese-led initiatives.
Why did China’s president speak out now on the Strait of Hormuz?
Xi spoke after the U.S.-Iran ceasefire showed signs of collapse following the seizure of an Iranian vessel, prompting Beijing to act before the disruption to oil flows worsened, given its role as the top buyer of Iranian crude.
Does China support Iran or the U.S. In the current standoff?
China has not taken sides but insists on the reopening of the Strait and a ceasefire, emphasizing diplomacy over blame, while maintaining its economic ties with Iran and urging all parties to respect international law.
