Thursday 16 / April / 2026
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday urged Iran to help restore normal navigation in the Strait of Hormuz during a phone call with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.
Wang said Iran's sovereignty and security in the strait should be respected, but stressed that freedom and safety of navigation must also be ensured. He highlighted a broad international consensus on restoring normal shipping through the waterway.
The situation is at a critical stage of transformation, and the window for peace is opening, Wang said.
He reiterated China's support for maintaining a ceasefire and advancing negotiations, calling them in the interests of Iran, the region and the wider international community.
Earlier reports said that amid the chaos in the Middle East, following the US-Israeli war on Iran, China has projected itself as a stabilizing force and potential mediator in the conflict.
China is feeling the impact of the Iran war both economically and through the added strain it places on relations with the United States. As the conflict in the Middle East drags on, we examine what Beijing's next moves might be.
