Xi Jinping Calls For Open Hormuz, Immediate Ceasefire After Saudi Call
Xi Jinping on Monday called for the Strait of Hormuz to remain open and urged an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire in the Iran war during a phone call with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The remarks marked the first time Xi Jinping publicly pushed for reopening the waterway, which has faced repeated blockades since U. S. -Israeli strikes on Iran began on February 28. The comments were released in a readout of the call published by Chinese state media.
Xi Jinping presses for open passage
Xi Jinping said the Strait of Hormuz should “remain open for normal passage, ” framing access to the waterway as a matter of common interest for the region and the wider international community. He did not single out either Iran or the United States in his public remarks.
He also said China advocates an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire, supports efforts that can restore peace, and insists disputes should be handled through political and diplomatic channels. In the same call, he expressed support for regional nations building a shared home of neighborliness, development, security and cooperation.
Strategic stakes and market pressure
The timing is significant because the Strait of Hormuz is a critical transit route for shipping traffic, and the stalemate there has already choked global oil supply chains. The disruption has also plunged global energy markets into chaos and dragged down world economic growth, adding pressure to any diplomatic move that could restore normal passage.
Xi Jinping’s remarks came hours after a Chinese Foreign Ministry press briefing in which Beijing was concerned about the U. S. “forcible interception” of an Iranian vessel on Sunday. In a separate development highlighted in the context, China is the biggest buyer of Iranian oil, and its refiners purchased more than 80% of the crude shipped by Iran in 2025, underscoring how deeply the conflict and the waterway’s status affect Beijing’s interests.
Immediate reactions and wider context
The call also came after Xi Jinping had recently raised concerns about the international order “crumbling into disarray” in a meeting with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, and said the world could not revert to “the law of the jungle” in a meeting with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheik Khaled bin Mohammed in Beijing last week. In both cases, however, he had stopped short of directly calling out Washington or the impact of the conflict on energy shipments through Hormuz.
In a separate exchange referenced in the context, U. S. President Donald Trump said Xi had written him a “beautiful letter” after Trump raised questions about reports of weapons sales to Iran. Trump later said on social media that China was “very happy” about his move to permanently open the Strait of Hormuz and claimed Xi had agreed not to send weapons to Iran.
What comes next
For now, Xi Jinping has put public diplomatic weight behind reopening the Strait of Hormuz and stopping the fighting, but the statement does not resolve the blockade itself. The next shift will depend on whether the ceasefire push gains traction and whether the waterway can return to normal passage, a test that will shape both regional diplomacy and energy markets. Xi Jinping has now made the issue central, and the consequences of that stance will be watched closely in the days ahead.
