China has just sent a warning to the US over the blockade of their ships, which they say are moving in and out of the Strait of Hormuz and expect that to continue.
Here’s the news via MSN:
China has signalled support for Iran and warned against interference, after the United States announced a naval blockade targeting Iranian maritime traffic.
Responding to the move, China’s defence minister, Dong Jun, said Beijing was commited for peace and stability in the world and was “monitoring the situation in the Middle East.”
“Our ships are moving in and out of the waters of the Strait of Hormuz. We have trade & energy agreements with Iran. We will respect & honour them and expect others not to meddle in our affairs,” he said. “Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz, and it is open for us.”
The comments came after the United States Central Command said its forces would begin implementing a blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports from 10 a.m. ET on 13 April (7:30 p.m. IST), in line with a presidential order.
CENTCOM said the blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman.
The US forces will not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports, it added.
This does set up a tricky situation, however President Trump has made clear that the entire point of doing this is to clear the strait of mines. Hopefully China will not escalate this blockade into military action.