China Urges Iran to Ensure Free Navigation in Strait of Hormuz

Beijing: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has asked Iran to ensure freedom and safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a first such call issued by Beijing ever since Tehran started to put a squeeze on the critical waterway in the midst of its war with the US.

Wang has sought guarantees of freedom and safety of international navigation through the Strait of Hormuz in a phone call with Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi on Wednesday.

Wang's call coincided with a Pakistan mediation delegation headed by Field Marshal Asim Munir reaching Tehran on Wednesday to discuss new peace proposals for a second round of talks between the US and Iran in Islamabad.

China, a close ally of Iran and the largest importer of Iranian oil, was also concerned over the energy crisis accentuated by the US blockade of the Strait, preventing ships from carrying oil and gas from Iran's ports.

The Strait of Hormuz is a vital 55-km-wide maritime choke point between Iran and Oman, managing roughly 20 per cent of global oil trade.

Opening of the Strait was the second most important demand by US President Donald Trump, besides halting Iran's nuclear energy.

"The current situation has reached a critical stage of transition between conflict and peace, and a window for peace is opening," Wang told Araghchi, according to a statement by the Chinese foreign ministry.

Wang said Iran, as a coastal state of the Strait of Hormuz, should have its sovereignty, security and legitimate rights and interests respected and safeguarded.