US President Donald Trump said he expects China to assist in ensuring security in the strategic Strait of Hormuz ahead of his planned summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.
Speaking to the Financial Times, Trump said the visit, scheduled for the end of March, could be delayed, though he did not provide further details.
He said he expects Beijing to play a role in helping unblock the Strait of Hormuz before the meeting, noting that China receives a large share of its oil shipments through the key maritime route.
Trump claimed that China gets “90 percent of its oil” via the Strait, underscoring Beijing’s strong interest in keeping the waterway open.
However, analysts note that China purchases roughly 90 percent of Iran’s oil exports, but that supply accounts for only about 12 percent of China’s total oil imports.
According to the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies, around 40 percent of China’s oil imports transit through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical energy shipping lanes.
With inputs from BBC