Senior US and Chinese officials agree that neither country should be allowed to charge tolls in the Strait of Hormuz, the State Department told Reuters on Tuesday, in a signal that the two countries are trying to find common ground in efforts to pressure Iran to relinquish control of the vital waterway.
The State Department's announcement comes ahead of a high-stakes summit between President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping on Wednesday and Thursday this week, where Iran's control over the strategic Strait will be high on the agenda.
Tehran's near-complete shutdown of this vital trade artery following the launch of joint Israeli-US airstrikes on Iran on February 28 sent shockwaves through global energy markets.
The State Department said Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio discussed the matter in a phone call in April.
“They agreed that no country or organization should be allowed to charge fees for passage through international waterways such as the Strait of Hormuz,” State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott told Reuters in response to questions about the call. The State Department had not previously provided a statement about the call, in a departure from its usual practice.
The Chinese embassy did not dispute the US version of the discussion, saying it hoped all sides would work together to restore normal traffic through the strait, which before the war handled a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies.
“Maintaining the security and stability of the area and ensuring unimpeded transit serve the common interest of the international community,” Chinese embassy spokesman Liu Pengyu told Reuters.
Tehran has demanded the right to levy tolls on maritime traffic as a precondition for ending the war. The US has imposed a naval blockade on Iran's ports, and Trump has floated the possibility of imposing his own taxes on traffic or working with Tehran to levy tolls.
Following national and international backlash, the White House later relayed that Trump wants the Strait of Hormuz to be opened to traffic without any restrictions.
Chinese officials have so far avoided directly mentioning the tolls, even as they condemned the US Navy's blockade of Iranian ports.
“Normal and safe traffic” through the strait
Two sources briefed on the exchange between Wang and Rubio said the US secretary of state raised the prospect of Chinese ships paying tolls, which the sources said appeared to be aimed at encouraging Beijing to put more pressure on Tehran to end the conflict.
China maintains relations with Iran and remains a major customer of its oil exports. Trump has pressed China to use its influence to get Tehran to strike a deal with Washington.
In a subsequent meeting with Iran's foreign minister, Wang said the international community shares a “common concern about restoring normal and safe traffic through the strait,” while reiterating that Beijing supports Iran in “defending its national sovereignty and security.”
Last month, China vetoed a US-backed United Nations (UN) resolution encouraging states to work together to protect commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, saying the resolution was biased against Iran. This prompted the US ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, to claim that Beijing is tolerating Iran's threat to the global economy.
Washington, along with Bahrain, has drafted another UN resolution calling on Iran to end attacks and mine placement in the strait, but diplomats say it is also likely to run into vetoes from China and Russia if it comes to a vote.
That resolution also calls for an end to “efforts to levy illegal taxes” in the strait.
Beijing has ordered its companies not to comply with US sanctions against Chinese oil refiners for purchases of Iranian crude, measures aimed at isolating and putting pressure on Tehran.
