In a bid to address growing tensions in the Persian Gulf, Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed on Tuesday his intent to engage China in efforts to persuade Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Rubio’s strategy involves rallying international support, particularly from China, to pressure Iran through diplomatic channels.
During an appearance on Fox News’ “Hannity,” set to air Wednesday night, Rubio stated, “We’ve presented our case to the Chinese, and I hope it resonates. They’ll have an opportunity to act at the United Nations later this week, where a resolution is on the table to condemn Iran’s actions concerning the strait.”
Rubio outlined three key arguments to China for taking a more proactive stance. “Firstly,” he noted, “Chinese ships are currently stranded in the Persian Gulf. The challenge of selectively permitting ship passage is more complex than it appears.”
Rubio’s second point was the “instability” in the Persian Gulf “threatens to destabilize Asia more than any other part of the world because it’s heavily reliant on the straits for energy.”
“And the third reason,” the secretary of state added, “is because China’s economy is export-driven, meaning their economy is fueled not by what they consume domestically, but by what they make and sell to other countries.”
“Well, of all the countries of the world, economies are melting down because of this crisis in the straits. They’re going to be buying less Chinese product and the Chinese exports are going to drop precipitously,” he warned.
“So it’s in their interest to resolve this,” Rubio said. “We hope to convince them to play a more active role in getting Iran to walk away from what they’re doing now and trying to do now in the Persian Gulf.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.