ChinaandBahrainAlignonU.N.StrategytoSecureStraitofHormuz

Wang Yi and Abdullatif Al Zayani (right). Photo: VCG

Wang Yi, China’s foreign minister and a member of the Communist Party’s Politburo, on Thursday urged international intervention to stabilize the Middle East and safeguard the Strait of Hormuz during an April 2 call with Bahrain Foreign Minister Abdullatif Al Zayani.

Al Zayani, who currently serves as the rotating chairman of the Gulf Cooperation Council, initiated the phone call to brief Wang on the region’s volatile security environment and Bahrain’s strategic posture.

Presenting a grim assessment, Al Zayani warned that Gulf nations face severe security challenges, most notably the blocking of vital shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz. He emphasized Bahrain’s intention to resolve the navigation crisis through the United Nations Security Council and requested closer coordination with Beijing.

In response, Wang reiterated China’s principled stance against aggression and its steadfast advocacy for peace. Wang highlighted a recent five-point initiative proposed jointly by China and Pakistan aimed at restoring peace and stability to the Gulf and the broader Middle East. The proposal demands a halt to attacks on civilians and non-military targets, alongside guarantees for the security and resumption of normal traffic through the Strait of Hormuz.

“An immediate cease-fire is the unified demand of the international community,” Wang said.

He asserted that actions taken by the U.N. Security Council must work toward easing tensions and reviving peace talks. The council must not endorse illegal acts of war, Wang warned, “let alone add fuel to the fire.”

Bahrain initially circulated a U.N. Security Council draft resolution on protecting commercial shipping in and around the Strait of Hormuz. Backed by other Gulf Arab states and the U.S., the draft explicitly invoked Chapter VII of the U.N. Charter, allowing the Security Council to authorize measures ranging from sanctions to military force, according to Reuters.

With Russia and China expected to veto, Bahrain has revised the draft — dropping an explicit reference to binding enforcement while retaining language authorizing “all necessary means,” Reuters reported Wednesday. Diplomats said there is a tentative aim to put the text to a vote on Thursday, according to the report.

As a permanent member of the Security Council and a responsible major power, China is prepared to collaborate with Bahrain to quell the conflict, Wang said. Beijing aims to achieve lasting regional stability and defend the legitimate rights of the Global South — particularly those of small and medium-sized nations.

Contact editor Lu Zhenhua (zhenhualu@caixin.com)