(April 20): China President Xi Jinping called for an immediate ceasefire and the restoration of normal transit through the Strait of Hormuz, following a turbulent weekend in the Middle East that has clouded prospects for peace talks.
“China calls for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire, supports all efforts to restore peace and insists disputes be resolved through political and diplomatic means,” Xi said in a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Monday, according to a statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry. “The Strait of Hormuz should remain open to normal transit, which is in the common interest of regional countries and the international community.”
China also supports Middle Eastern countries “taking their future and destiny into their own hands”, Xi said.
The remarks employ similar language to that once used by US President Donald Trump, who in a video message to the Iranian people at the onset of the war urged that “now is the time to seize control of your destiny”. They also build on Xi’s first public comments on the Iran war, delivered last week during a meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, in which the Chinese leader warned that the international order is “crumbling into disarray” and pledged to play a constructive role in the Middle East.
Over the weekend, the US maintained a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and seized an Iranian ship, dimming hopes of a breakthrough in efforts to end the war. Trump further escalated tensions by threatening Iran with mass destruction if a deal is not reached.
Iran reversed its decision to reopen the Strait of Hormuz after the US refused to lift its blockade, and the strait remains all but shut, exacerbating a global supply crisis and causing oil prices to jump.
See also: Iran wavers on peace talks as tensions rise after US seizes ship
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