JAKARTA - Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said the country continues to open communication with all parties to ease tensions in the Strait of Hormuz.
This was conveyed when answering a reporter's question about US President Donald Trump's request in an interview with the media in the US that China should play a role and help in restoring shipping activities in the Strait of Hormuz.
"We continue to maintain communication with all parties regarding the current situation and remain committed to easing existing tensions," Lin Jian said at a press conference in Beijing on Monday.
Previously on Sunday (15/3), Trump said he asked about seven countries to join a coalition that would escort ships across the Strait of Hormuz. Although he did not specify the countries, Trump said they were heavily dependent on Middle Eastern oil.
In addition, Trump also considered that China must play a role and help in restoring shipping activities in the Strait of Hormuz.
"I think China has to help too, because China gets 90 percent of its oil through this strait," the US President said in an interview with the Financial Times.
Lin Jian said the recent tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and surrounding waters had affected international goods and energy trade routes and undermined regional and global peace and stability.
"Once again, China calls on all parties to immediately stop military operations, avoid further escalation of tensions, and prevent regional turmoil from having a greater impact on global economic growth," said Lin Jian.
Lin Jian also said that until now, Trump's plan to visit Beijing on March 31-April 2, 2026 is still being pursued.
"Diplomatic relations at the level of heads of state play an irreplaceable role in providing strategic guidance for China-US relations. Both sides are communicating about President Trump's visit to China," Lin Jian added.
Previously, Trump also asked NATO member countries to send warships to open the Strait of Hormuz or face a "very bad" future.
A report in The Wall Street Journal said the White House plans to announce the formation of a multinational coalition as early as this week, citing statements by a number of US officials. In addition to China, Trump also asked France, Japan, South Korea, the United Kingdom and other countries.
Publicly, many governments are reluctant to commit to such a mission before the US-Israeli war with Iran ends, given the various risks involved, the WSJ said in its report.
In fact, Trump claimed, via his Truth Social account on Saturday (14/3), many countries, especially those affected by Iran's attempt to close the Strait of Hormuz, will send warships "to secure the oil trade route.
The United States and Israel launched a massive attack on Iran on February 28, 2026, which led to the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and about 1,300 others.
Iran retaliated with drone and missile attacks targeting Israel, Iraq, and Gulf states that include US military assets, including by closing the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway that accounts for 20 percent of the world's oil and gas transport traffic, causing oil prices to soar and raising concerns about global energy supplies and food prices.
The Strait of Hormuz is the main exit for oil from energy-producing countries in the Gulf region such as Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Iran, and the United Arab Emirates.
Around 17 million to 20 million barrels of oil per day pass through this strait. This amount is equivalent to about a fifth of the world's oil trade. About 84 percent of the oil that passes through the Strait of Hormuz is sent to Asian countries, including China, India, Japan, and South Korea.
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