U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping reached a rare consensus during a high-stakes meeting on Thursday, jointly declaring that the Strait of Hormuz “must remain open” despite the ongoing war involving Iran, Israel, and the United States.
The vital waterway, which has been largely blocked by Iranian forces since hostilities erupted on February 28, serves as a global energy artery.
According to maritime analytics firm Kpler, a fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas transits through the strait, making its closure a catastrophic threat to global market stability.
”The two sides agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to support the free flow of energy.”
China, the world’s largest oil importer, is particularly vulnerable to the maritime blockade. Kpler data indicates that more than half of China’s sea-borne crude imports originate from the Middle East and must pass through the strait.
In a move to mitigate this strategic weakness, the White House claimed that President Xi expressed an interest in sourcing more American oil to “reduce China’s dependence on the strait in the future.”
However, Beijing’s official account of the meeting remained notably silent on the prospect of increased U.S. energy purchases.
Similarly, the White House readout omitted any mention of Taiwan, a perennial flashpoint in bilateral relations. This silence follows a stern warning from President Xi, reported by Chinese state media, regarding the sensitive status of the self-ruled island.
”Conflict between China and the United States could break out, should the issue be mishandled.”
While the “good” meeting between the two leaders provided a brief moment of diplomatic alignment on global energy security, the underlying tensions regarding regional sovereignty and conflicting official narratives continue to loom over the relationship.