China is stepping into a diplomatic effort to keep vital energy routes open as the Middle East war intensifies with Beijing reportedly in talks with Iran to allow crude oil and Qatari liquefied natural gas vessels safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz sources told Reuters. The negotiations come as the war between U.S. and Israeli forces and Tehran has effectively left the crucial waterway through which nearly 20 percent of the world’s oil and gas supplies flow all but shut threatening global markets and energy security.
China the world’s second‑largest economy relies heavily on Middle Eastern energy with about 45 percent of its crude oil imports passing through Hormuz and has grown increasingly uneasy with Iran’s moves that have paralysed maritime traffic. Beijing is pressing Tehran to guarantee safe transit for energy tankers a move aimed at calming soaring crude and LNG prices and easing market jitters as disruptions deepen.
Ship tracking data shows only a handful of tankers have crossed the Strait since the conflict began with many vessels anchored in the Gulf as insurers withdraw war‑risk cover and exporters fear attacks. Chinese pressure on Iran comes amid broader concerns that prolonged closures or blockades could accelerate inflation worldwide and trigger energy shortages across Asia and beyond.
Diplomats say these talks signal Beijing’s frustration with Tehran’s blockade tactics even as Iran continues to assert control over the strait and threats to vessels from hostile forces persist. Analysts warn that any agreement on safe passages would be strategically significant potentially stabilising energy flows and offering a rare diplomatic channel amid the widening conflict.
