Cessation of hostilities a prerequisite to address Strait of Hormuz deadlock: China Daily editorial

While Washington insists it is working to "secure" passage through the Strait of Hormuz for the world, recent reports describe mounting tensions. The framing is as revealing as the facts: the United States attempts to portray its actions as "a public good", even as the origins of the crisis lie on its doorstep.

Prior to the escalation started by the US-Israeli strikes on Iran the strait was not at the center of a crisis. This causal sequence should not be obscured by Washington's altruistic claim. If someone sets alight a house and then seeks credit for trying to extinguish the blaze, the applause is likely to be muted.

Washington argues that the US itself does not depend on the Strait of Hormuz. Yet inflation in the US remains stubborn, with energy costs a persistent driver. Declining approval ratings for the US administration and the looming pressure of midterm elections underscore the domestic stakes.

In this light, when Washington alleges that Iran is on the verge of collapse, Iran desperately wants a deal, or that Tehran has more to lose from a closure of the strait, it is not unreasonable to infer the opposite.

The diplomatic theater of Washington, which tries to exert pressure on China over the Middle East crisis, adds another layer of obfuscation to the proceedings. Some US officials, including the treasury secretary, have publicly urged China to "step up" its role in persuading Iran to keep the strait open. The treasury secretary told the media, "if they want to be good global citizens", Beijing could join hands with other countries at the United Nations, in reference to an April UN Security Council draft resolution allegedly aimed at "protecting" commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz that China and Russia vetoed for its lack of fairness and justice.

Yet this request distorts China's role. Beijing has, in fact, been engaged in responsible diplomatic efforts aimed at de-escalation. With Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's meeting with his Iranian counterpart in Beijing on Wednesday being the latest move as part of a broader push to encourage dialogue and restraint.

As Wang stressed in the meeting, China believes that a comprehensive cessation of hostilities is urgently needed, that a relapse into conflict is even more inadvisable, and that continued adherence to negotiation is of paramount importance.

On the issue of the Strait of Hormuz, the world shares a common concern over the restoration of safe and normal passage. As Wang said, Beijing hopes the parties involved will respond as promptly as possible to the strong calls of the international community.

China encourages Iran and other Gulf states to engage in dialogue aimed at fostering neighborly relations, and supports the establishment, by regional countries themselves, of a regional peace and security architecture based on shared participation, the safeguarding of regional interests, and the realization of common development.

The pro-peace endeavors of China are grounded in a framework articulated in a four-point proposal it put forward last month on peace and stability in the Middle East, which emphasizes peaceful coexistence, respect for sovereignty, adherence to international law and the coordination of development with security.

It is unrealistic for Washington to press Beijing to endorse the premise that military action lacking UN authorization and legitimacy can be retrospectively legitimized as a contribution to global common interests. Nor should Washington expect the world to accept the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz — under the US' military pressure — as an altruistic act by those who precipitated the crisis in the first place.

The US may declare to its domestic audience that its Epic Fury operation has concluded with desired effects. But the costs of disruption in the Strait of Hormuz are borne not just by the protagonists, but by the world as a whole.

If Washington genuinely seeks to uphold the world's common interests as it professes, it should begin by recognizing its role in shaping the current predicament. It should also accept that diplomatic efforts by others will not serve as a post hoc endorsement of the US-Israeli attacks on Iran. What the US administration seeks to do now is to pressure others to clear up a mess of its own making while taking the credit if any breakthrough is made.

Stability in critical global arteries cannot be secured through unilateral forces. It requires consistency, restraint and a willingness to place shared interests above immediate political gain. Until that lesson is absorbed, the Strait of Hormuz will remain not just a strategic choke point, but a mirror reflecting the misjudgment of some.