--- title: "China Urges Iran to Reopen Hormuz Strait | Model Diplomat" description: "China is pressing Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, seeking energy stability and diplomatic standing ahead of the high-stakes Trump-Xi meeting in Beijing." url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/story/china-presses-iran-on-hormuz-before-trump-xi-meeting" --- # China Urges Iran to Reopen Hormuz Strait Beijing seeks energy stability and diplomatic leverage with Tehran. Model DiplomatMay 6, 20262 min readMiddle East [Al Jazeera StaffIran’s Araghchi holds talks with China’s Wang Yi in Beijing | US-Israel war on Iran News | Al Jazeera](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/6/irans-araghchi-holds-talks-with-chinas-wang-yi-in-beijing)[BBC伊朗外長訪華晤王毅，北京呼籲「盡快」重開霍爾木茲海峽 - BBC News 中文](https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/articles/cx210egwr41o/trad)[ReutersChina urges restraint over US blockade of Strait of Hormuz, backs talks | Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-urges-restraint-over-us-blockade-strait-hormuz-backs-talks-2026-04-13/) ## China Presses Iran on Hormuz Before Trump-Xi *Wang Yi is leaning on Tehran to reopen Hormuz fast, because Beijing wants energy stability and diplomatic room before Trump sits down with Xi.* China now holds the most usable leverage over Iran: diplomatic backing, a seat at the UN, and a market that still absorbs Iranian oil. Reuters says China imported **1.38 million barrels a day** from Iran in 2025, about 12% of its crude imports, which is why Beijing can pressure Tehran without breaking the relationship ([Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-urges-restraint-over-us-blockade-strait-hormuz-backs-talks-2026-04-13/ "reuters.com")). At his Beijing meeting with Abbas Araghchi, Wang Yi called for the Strait of Hormuz to reopen “as soon as possible” and said a comprehensive ceasefire was urgent ([BBC News 中文](https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/articles/cx210egwr41o/trad "bbc.com"), [AP News](https://apnews.com/article/china-iran-us-war-behind-scenes-diplomacy-cd2283edc105303e6cbc5eadc8840ad2 "apnews.com")). ## Why Beijing is moving now This is not China mediating for principle. In the logic of [Global Politics](https://modeldiplomat.com/discover/general "modeldiplomat.com"), Beijing is trying to keep a Gulf crisis from spilling into its own energy system while avoiding an open clash with Washington. Reuters reported in April that China said any blockade of Hormuz cuts against international interests and called for restraint, even as the US military moved to block maritime traffic to Iranian ports after ceasefire talks failed ([Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-urges-restraint-over-us-blockade-strait-hormuz-backs-talks-2026-04-13/ "reuters.com")). The message from Beijing is consistent: stop the shooting, reopen the waterway, and keep negotiations alive. That position also gives China diplomatic cover. Beijing can present itself as the power urging de-escalation, while signaling to Washington that it can talk to Tehran when others cannot. That matters because the Hormuz squeeze has already exposed how dependent China is on a route it does not control and cannot secure alone ([Reuters](https://www.reuters.com/world/china/chinese-ships-halt-attempt-exit-hormuz-despite-iran-safe-passage-assurances-2026-03-27/ "reuters.com")). ## Who gains, who loses Iran benefits from Chinese political backing, especially if it needs help resisting new sanctions or defending itself at the Security Council. But Tehran is also losing leverage: the longer it keeps the chokepoint shut, the more it turns its best customer into a reluctant enforcer. Washington wants the opposite outcome — Chinese pressure on Tehran — and Secretary of State Marco Rubio has already been saying so publicly, according to the BBC and AP ([BBC News 中文](https://www.bbc.com/zhongwen/articles/cx210egwr41o/trad "bbc.com"), [AP News](https://apnews.com/article/china-iran-us-war-behind-scenes-diplomacy-cd2283edc105303e6cbc5eadc8840ad2 "apnews.com")). The other beneficiary is the White House, at least tactically. If Beijing helps calm Hormuz before the Trump-Xi meeting expected next week, Trump can claim China helped contain a global energy shock. If it does not, the summit becomes a test of whether China can actually deliver on a crisis where it has influence but not command. ## What to watch next Watch for two things: whether Wang secures a public Iranian commitment on safe passage, and whether Hormuz stays open through the Trump-Xi summit window around **May 14-15** ([Al Jazeera](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/5/6/irans-araghchi-holds-talks-with-chinas-wang-yi-in-beijing "aljazeera.com"), [AP News](https://apnews.com/article/china-iran-us-war-behind-scenes-diplomacy-cd2283edc105303e6cbc5eadc8840ad2 "apnews.com")). If China gets movement, it strengthens its claim as the indispensable crisis manager. If not, it shows the limits of Beijing’s leverage over Tehran. 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