Kehinde Adegoke | International Agencies
Beijing: Barely hours after the U.S.–China summit, Beijing rejected Washington’s push for a resolution condemning the Strait of Hormuz blockade, signalling sharp diplomatic friction despite recent talks.
Analysts say the move underscores China’s determination to resist U.S. pressure on strategic maritime issues, while highlighting the fragile nature of efforts to stabilise relations between the two powers. The rejection is expected to reverberate across global energy and security discussions.
According to Reuters on the 16th, Chinese Ambassador to the UN Fu Cong responded to a question about the Hormuz resolution in an interview with UN-focused online media PassBlue, stating, “We do not believe the content is appropriate, nor do we consider the timing suitable.”
Ambassador Fu added, “What is needed is to urge both sides to engage in sincere and good-faith negotiations to resolve the issue,” and emphasised, “Therefore, we do not believe passing a resolution at this stage would be helpful.”
These remarks came immediately after U.S. President Donald Trump concluded a two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. According to the White House, the two leaders agreed during the talks that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open. The White House also stated that President Xi clearly opposed any militarisation of the strait and attempts to impose tolls on passage through the waterway.
However, President Xi did not publicly mention the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and in a statement released under the name of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, China assessed the Iran war as “a war that should not have happened.”
Earlier, the U.S. and Gulf states, including Bahrain, submitted a draft Security Council resolution on the 5th strongly demanding that Iran halt attacks and mine-laying in the Strait of Hormuz. Diplomatic circles anticipate that China and Russia will likely exercise their veto power on the resolution once again, as they did last month.
