US Calls on China to Help Reopen Strait of Hormuz and Restore Energy Flows

Reflecto News | Breaking News | US-China Relations & Global Energy

WASHINGTON — The United States has called on China to use its influence to help reopen the strategic Strait of Hormuz and restore critical global energy flows, as hundreds of vessels remain stranded and oil prices surge past $120 per barrel amid the ongoing US-Israeli war with Iran.

The request comes as President Trump’s administration intensifies diplomatic efforts to resolve the two-month-old conflict, which has effectively shut down the waterway through which approximately 20 percent of the world’s oil supply normally passes .

💬 The US Appeal to Beijing

While the State Department has not publicly detailed the specific channels of communication, the call for Chinese cooperation reflects Washington’s recognition that Beijing holds significant leverage over the situation . China is the largest buyer of Iranian crude oil, and its cooperation—or lack thereof—has been a decisive factor in whether Tehran feels sufficient economic pressure to compromise .

A senior administration official, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Reuters that the US is asking China to:

• Encourage Iran to allow commercial vessels to transit the strait freely, without the threat of attack or demands for “tolls” ;
• Use its economic leverage to persuade Tehran to return to the negotiating table; and
• Refrain from purchasing Iranian oil at a volume that would undermine the US naval blockade.

The request follows a series of US actions targeting Chinese entities that continue to buy Iranian crude, including sanctions on Qingdao Haiye Oil Terminal Co., Ltd., which the Treasury alleges imported “tens of millions of barrels” of Iranian oil . Washington has also sanctioned several Chinese “teapot” refineries and dozens of vessels in the Iranian “shadow fleet” .

🇨🇳 China’s Delicate Balancing Act

Beijing has responded cautiously to the US appeal. Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun reiterated China’s position that “only by achieving a comprehensive ceasefire and ending the war can we fundamentally create conditions for easing the situation in the strait” .

China faces competing pressures. Approximately 40 percent of its crude oil imports—about 5 million barrels per day—transit the Strait of Hormuz . Prolonged disruption threatens China’s energy security and economic stability . Yet Beijing also opposes what it calls US “unilateral sanctions” and “extraterritorial jurisdiction,” and it has refused to comply with the US naval blockade .

China is also wary of alienating Iran, a key partner in the Belt and Road Initiative and a source of discounted crude. Analysts suggest Beijing is trying to thread the needle: supporting Tehran politically while not significantly increasing its oil purchases to a level that would provoke a US trade war . Russia has stepped in to fill some of the supply gap to China, but this comes with its own geopolitical complications .

🚢 The Strategic and Economic Stakes

The Strait of Hormuz remains a critical chokepoint for global energy security. The International Energy Agency (IEA) has described current supply disruptions as the largest on record, with more than 10 million barrels per day of oil supply offline and a 20 percent reduction in global LNG flows .

The human toll includes:

• Over 900 commercial vessels and 20,000 seafarers stranded in the Persian Gulf ;
• Some ships running critically low on food and fresh water; and
• A spike in shipping insurance premiums, which has further discouraged transit even for vessels that might otherwise risk the passage.

US Central Command has launched “Project Freedom,” a mission to guide stranded commercial ships out of the Gulf, though the operation has been scaled back to focus on providing information about safe routes rather than direct naval escorts, to reduce the risk of direct confrontation with Iranian forces .

⚖️ What Comes Next

Trump is scheduled to visit China in the coming weeks—a trip that has been complicated by the Iran crisis . The president has previously threatened 50% tariffs on Chinese goods if Beijing provides military assistance to Tehran, though Washington’s immediate concern is economic, not military: restoring the flow of oil to global markets and stabilizing prices .

Whether Beijing will heed the US call remains uncertain. China has a history of “flexible foreign policy,” building strategic partnerships without entering into formal alliances, and it has thus far resisted pressure to cut off Iranian oil purchases entirely . However, the economic cost of prolonged high oil prices may force Beijing to reconsider its position. For now, China continues to urge all parties toward a ceasefire and negotiations—while keeping its oil tankers ready to load at Iranian ports the moment the strait reopens.

📋 Key Takeaways

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