- By Ajeet Kumar
- Mon, 16 Mar 2026 04:19 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
- China urges immediate halt to military operations.
- Beijing declines Trump's call for military assistance.
- Strait of Hormuz crucial for global energy trade.
Hours after US President Donald Trump called at least seven countries, including China, to assist militarily in securing the Strait of Hormuz from Iranian attacks, Beijing refrained from answering the question directly but urged all sides to refrain from targeting vessels. The Foreign Ministry’s Lin Jian, at a daily briefing in Beijing on Monday, instead repeated China’s calls for an end to the fighting, noting the impact on energy and goods trade.
China did not rule out Trump’s demand, but the way the Chinese spokesperson responded to his appeal, it seems Beijing wouldn’t be joining the military aggression against Iran.
“Again China calls on all sides to immediately stop military operations to avoid further escalation of tensions and prevent regional turbulence from having a larger impact on the world economic growth,” Lin said.
Why is the Strait of Hormuz crucial for India and the whole world?
The effective closure of the vital waterway by Iran in retaliation for airstrikes by the US and Israel has proved catastrophic for global energy and trade flows, causing the largest oil supply disruption and soaring global oil prices. India is also facing the cooking gas crisis after Iran blocked the narrow passage. Although the prices of petrol and diesel are constant and the government has assured not to increase until the crude price touches USD 130 per barrel, it is crucial for the whole world to navigate its vessels through Hormuz without any fear of attacks.
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Will Trump delay his meeting with Xi Jinping?
China also said it is in talks with the US about Trump's planned visit to Beijing later this month. On Trump's comment that he may delay his visit to China at the end of the month, apparently linking his visit to Beijing's response to his appeal to help to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, Lin said both Beijing and Washington are in talks about the US President's visit.
China and the United States are in communication with each other regarding Trump's visit to China, Lin said, adding that head-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable strategic leading role in China-US relations.
Why is Trump upset with China and its allies?
Trump is literally “begging” China and American allies for help as Iran continues to attack vessels. America’s allies, such as the UK, France, Japan and Australia, have responded negatively to Trump’s appeal for warship deployment, and China’s latest rejection could act as a major disappointment for the US President. The Republican leader stressed that since Beijing is the largest importer of crude oil in the region.
In an interview on Sunday with the Financial Times, Trump said China's reliance on oil from West Asia means it has to help with a new coalition he is trying to put together to get oil tanker traffic moving through the strait after Iran's threats have throttled global flows of oil.
"We'd like to know" before the trip whether Beijing will help. "We may delay," Trump said in the interview.
ALSO READ: Why Iran Is Giving Special Treatment To Indian Ships In Strait Of Hormuz: 5 Key Reasons Explained
Trump, in a social media post this weekend, urged countries including China, the UK, France and Japan to deploy warships to keep the strait "open and safe".
China, a close ally of Iran and recipient of Iranian oil supplies at cheaper costs, has condemned the US-Israeli attacks on Iran and criticised the killing of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Khamenei in American airstrikes.
What's next?
Trump has issued a stern warning regarding the future of NATO, suggesting the alliance could face a "very bad" outlook if member nations do not assist in securing the Strait of Hormuz. In a telephone interview with the Financial Times published on Sunday, the President delivered a blunt message to European allies concerning the strategic maritime passage. He argued that nations benefiting from the waterway must share the burden of its protection.
"It's only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries of the Strait will help to make sure that nothing bad happens there," Trump told the newspaper. He further cautioned that "if there's no response or if it's a negative response, I think it will be very bad for the future of NATO."
While speaking to reporters on Sunday on board Air Force One, he said whether the US get support or not, "we will remember."
(With inputs from agencies)