China, Europe and why Beijing took a swing at Iran over the Strait of Hormuz

About a fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies usually pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

Photo: Getty Images/TNS In a rare condemnation of its strategic partner, China has come out in opposition to Iran’s attacks on Gulf nations, calling for a ceasefire and a guarantee of the safety of shipping lanes.

Addressing a UN Security Council meeting on Thursday, Fu Cong, China’s permanent representative to the United Nations, said: “China does not support Iran’s attacks on Gulf Cooperation Council nations and condemns all indiscriminate attacks on innocent civilians and non-military targets.

The security of shipping lanes must not be disrupted.” However, Fu reserved his harshest comments for the US and Israel, describing their military strikes as “the origin of this war”.

The fundamental way to prevent escalation required the US and Israel to halt their military actions, he said.

Fu did not specify the shipping lanes he was referring to but the Strait of Hormuz, through which about a fifth of the world’s oil and gas supplies usually passes, remains largely closed to maritime traffic, leaving global markets in turmoil.

Tehran has allowed ships from countries such as China and Pakistan to go through the strait, saying it was only closed to “Iran’s enemies”.

In recent years, Europe has replaced its dependency on Russian pipeline gas with reliance on global liquefied natural gas, particularly from Qatar, making it more vulnerable to maritime chokepoints such as the Hormuz.

The Hormuz crisis has roiled European energy markets, sending natural gas prices soaring by about 60 per cent since the outbreak of the war in February, while gas storage levels remain critically below seasonal norms.

The Security Council was scheduled to vote on Friday on whether to authorise the use of “all necessary defensive means” to protect commercial shipping in and around the strait, but the vote was postponed on Thursday night without setting a new date.

With the conflict entering its sixth week and no end in sight, China’s top diplomat has embarked on a fresh round of talks, this time with his opposite numbers in Europe.

In separate calls with his European Union counterpart Kaja Kallas and German Foreign Affairs Minister Johann Wadephul, China’s Wang Yi urged Europe to push for a ceasefire.

In both calls, Wang repeated Beijing’s position: respect for Gulf nations’ sovereignty, protection of non-military targets and the safeguarding of critical shipping lanes and energy infr

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