China Pressures Iran to Keep Strait of Hormuz Open
Mar 3rd 2026
Beijing is pressing Tehran to keep the Strait of Hormuz open for oil and liquefied natural gas shipments amid Iranian threats against shipping and growing disruptions to global energy flows, industry sources and Chinese officials say.
- China has urged Iran to allow oil and LNG cargoes to pass through the Strait and not to attack tankers, Bloomberg cited anonymous senior executives at Chinese state energy firms.
- More than 80 percent of Iran's oil exports go to China, while China relies on Middle East oil and LNG for a large share of its energy imports.
- Iran claimed the Strait was closed and an IRGC adviser said Tehran would attack ships attempting to cross, while U.S. Central Command says the Strait is not closed.
- U.S. officials say Iran is unlikely to mine the Strait because about 80 percent of its oil exports would have to transit the narrow route to reach China.
- Energy flows are already disrupted, with tankers diverting, supertanker freight rates at record highs, insurers dropping war risk coverage, and Qatar pausing LNG production.
- Chinese diplomats have issued limited public statements calling the Strait an important international trade route and urging restraint to avoid wider regional and economic fallout.