China reiterated a principled call for an immediate halt to military action in response to President Donald Trump's request to send U.S. warships to the Strait of Hormuz, effectively signaling Beijing's refusal. Officials said they are keeping channels of communication open after Trump warned he might delay the U.S.-China summit—now two weeks away—if Washington does not obtain cooperation on the Hormuz issue.
Lin Jian (林劍), China's Foreign Ministry spokesman, told reporters at the March 16 briefing that all countries should stop military operations. He warned that recent escalations in the Strait of Hormuz and adjacent waters have disrupted international shipping and energy trade routes and are undermining both regional and global stability.
Lin urged immediate restraint, saying governments must avoid steps that would further inflame tensions and broaden regional instability in ways that could hit the global economy.
Asked whether Beijing had received a U.S. request to dispatch warships to the Strait of Hormuz, Lin said China had no additional information to provide. Without offering specifics, he reiterated Beijing's opposition to military action in the area, signaling that China does not intend to participate in any such operation.
Lin also weighed in on reports that Marco Rubio, now serving as U.S. secretary of state and expected to accompany President Trump on a late-March trip to China, might be denied entry. He said the sanctions Beijing imposed targeted statements and actions Rubio made while serving as a senator, suggesting China could allow his entry now that he no longer holds that office. The comment indicated Beijing may not enforce the earlier measures to bar Rubio from visiting.
Rubio, a former U.S. senator from Florida, has been a vocal critic of Beijing's treatment of ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region and was placed on China's sanctions list in 2020.
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Lin urged immediate restraint, saying governments must avoid steps that would further inflame tensions and broaden regional instability in ways that could hit the global economy.
Asked whether Beijing had received a U.S. request to dispatch warships to the Strait of Hormuz, Lin said China had no additional information to provide. Without offering specifics, he reiterated Beijing's opposition to military action in the area, signaling that China does not intend to participate in any such operation.
Lin also weighed in on reports that Marco Rubio, now serving as U.S. secretary of state and expected to accompany President Trump on a late-March trip to China, might be denied entry. He said the sanctions Beijing imposed targeted statements and actions Rubio made while serving as a senator, suggesting China could allow his entry now that he no longer holds that office. The comment indicated Beijing may not enforce the earlier measures to bar Rubio from visiting.
Rubio, a former U.S. senator from Florida, has been a vocal critic of Beijing's treatment of ethnic minorities in the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region and was placed on China's sanctions list in 2020.
