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China on Tuesday sharply criticised the United States over its recent military actions, warning that they could further destabilise an already fragile ceasefire in the West Asian region, as reported by Al Jazeera.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the US move to blockade vessels at the Strait of Hormuz would " exacerbate tensions" rather than ease them. According to Al Jazeera, he said, the US "increased military operations and took a targeted blockade action, which will only exacerbate tensions and undermine the already fragile ceasefire agreement." Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping put forth a four-point proposal on promoting peace and stability in West Asia, Xinhua reported. The proposal, as per the Chinese state news agency, includes adherence to the principle of peaceful coexistence, national sovereignty, international rule of law, and the coordination of development and security. Xi talked about the proposal in a meeting with Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, in Beijing. Earlier, a Malawi-flagged, Chinese-owned vessel reportedly passed through the Strait of Hormuz despite an ongoing US blockade targeting Iranian-linked shipping, according to MarineTraffic data cited by CNN. The vessel, identified as Rich Starry, is owned by Full Star Shipping Ltd, linked to Shanghai Xuanrun Shipping Co Ltd, and has been under US sanctions since 2023 over alleged ties to Iran. The ship previously sailed under the Hong Kong flag until April 2023, as reported by CNN, citing MarineTraffic data. According to MarineTraffic, the tanker initially attempted to transit the Strait around noon UTC on Monday but briefly turned back near Iran's Qeshm Island before making a second attempt in the evening. By early Tuesday UTC, it appeared to have successfully passed through the waterway. CNN had reported that the United States Navy is maintaining a presence of at least 15 ships in the West Asian region, including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and 11 destroyers, which could potentially take part in a maritime blockade of Iran's ports, according to a US official, following orders from President Donald Trump. However, it remains unclear which specific vessels are positioned or designated for participation in the blockade, as earlier assessments indicate that the naval assets are widely dispersed across the US Central Command's area of operations. The US president imposed a naval blockade on Iranian ports, following marathon talks in Pakistan over the weekend that failed to yield any agreement. (ANI)
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