China will use its influence over Iran to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in an interview on CNBC on Thursday.
“I think they will continue to operate behind the scenes as long as anyone has any influence over the Iranian leadership,” he added.
China is the largest importer of crude oil in the world. According to the US Energy Information Administration (EIA), approximately 10 percent their imports came from Iran, and more than half from the Middle East in 2024.
The Treasury Secretary said that almost all of Iran's oil exports go to China. “China has a much greater interest in reopening the strait than the United States does,” Bessent told CNBC.
Tehran now claims control of the narrow sea lane, which has been a key point of contention in deadlocked peace talks with the US. However, Iran is letting through some ships belonging to countries it considers friendly, including China.
President Donald Trump spoke with President Xi Jinping during a two-day summit in Beijing on Thursday. A White House official said leaders agreed the Strait of Hormuz must be reopened.
“Both sides agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to support the free flow of energy,” a White House official said. “President Xi also clearly expressed China's opposition to the militarization of the strait and any attempt to charge fees for its use.”
Chinese state media, however, did not specifically mention Hormuz as a topic of Trump's talks with Xi. According to state news agency Xinhua, the leaders “exchanged views on important international and regional issues, such as the situation in the Middle East.”
Bessent told CNBC that China is interested in purchasing more energy from the US in response to supply disruptions in the Middle East. China and other countries are looking for more stable energy sources, the Treasury secretary said.
The United States plans to increase exports of crude oil and liquefied natural gas from Alaska, which is a natural place for China to import energy because of its geographic proximity, the Treasury secretary said.
