Originally Posted by
ORAC
The Stillborn Blockade
China's defense minister, Admiral Dong Jun, issued a brief statement earlier today, coinciding with the previously announced start time of the US blockade of Iranian maritime trade through the Strait of Hormuz.
“We are committed to peace and stability in the world. We are monitoring the situation in the Middle East. Our ships are moving in and out of the waters of the Strait of Hormuz. We have trade and energy agreements with Iran. We will respect and honour them and expect others not to meddle in our affairs. Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz and it is open for us.”
The entire purpose of the blockade is to interdict Iranian oil shipments to China. The US cannot and will not risk a military conflict with China. The blockade is therefore stillborn.
I have seen that quote on social media, but nowhere with any reliable attribution and not reported in any Chinese publications. I suspect that the quote is fabricated. China is very unlikely to start off with such a public and confrontational stance. They have much larger strategic oil reserves than their Western counterparts and are very likely to let the supply problem get much worse before they try to exploit the situation for their own interests.