Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning

China maintains that the sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity of Gulf countries should be fully respected, and the safety of shipping lanes and energy infrastructure must be ensured. The root cause of the obstruction to navigation in the Strait of Hormuz lies in the illegal military actions by the US and Israel against Iran. The fundamental solution to restoring navigation in the strait is to achieve a ceasefire and end the conflict as soon as possible, the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Wednesday in response to a question about the UN Security Council (UNSC) vote on Tuesday local time on a draft resolution concerning the Strait of Hormuz proposed by Bahrain, during which China and Russia voted against it and exercised their vetoes, resulting in the draft resolution failing to pass.

Actions by the UNSC should aim to de-escalate tensions, and must not provide a legal cover for unauthorized military actions, grant a license for the use of force, or add fuel to the fire and escalate the conflict, Mao said. China's vote is objective and impartial and will stand the test of time, the spokesperson said. 

The draft resolution on the Strait of Hormuz jointly proposed by China and Russia has been formally circulated among UNSC members, the spokesperson said as China and Russia have put forward a new draft resolution on the Middle East situation and maritime security. 

The draft is objective and impartial, aims to ease tensions, calls for dialogue and negotiations, and seeks to safeguard the rights and freedoms of navigation, in line with the expectations of the international community. China stands ready to continue working with relevant parties to make unremitting efforts to promote de-escalation at an early date and to restore peace and stability in the strait and the Middle East region, Mao said.

Global Times