Senior officials from the United States and China have agreed that no nation should be permitted to impose shipping tolls in the Strait of Hormuz, signaling rare alignment between Washington and Beijing as tensions around the strategic waterway intensify.
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The U.S. State Department disclosed on Tuesday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi discussed the issue during an April phone conversation, as both countries seek ways to pressure Iran to relinquish its grip on the strait.
The development comes ahead of an anticipated meeting later this week between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, where the worsening Hormuz crisis is expected to feature prominently.
Iran’s near-total shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz following joint U.S.-Israeli airstrikes on February 28 has severely disrupted global trade flows and rattled energy markets. Before the conflict escalated, the strait handled roughly 20% of global oil and gas shipments.
According to State Department spokesperson Tommy Pigott, both Rubio and Wang agreed that “no country or organization can be allowed to charge tolls to pass through international waterways like the Strait of Hormuz.”
China’s embassy in Washington did not challenge the U.S. description of the talks. Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said Beijing supports efforts to restore normal shipping operations through the corridor, emphasizing that secure and unrestricted navigation is in the interest of the global community.
Tehran has reportedly demanded the right to levy transit fees on vessels using the strait as part of conditions for ending the conflict. Meanwhile, the United States has maintained a naval blockade around Iran, although the White House has recently clarified that President Trump ultimately wants unrestricted maritime access restored.
Sources familiar with the Rubio-Wang discussion said the U.S. raised concerns about Chinese-linked vessels potentially facing toll demands, a move viewed as an effort to encourage Beijing to exert greater pressure on Tehran.
China remains one of Iran’s most significant oil customers and continues to maintain close diplomatic and economic ties with the country. Washington has increasingly urged Beijing to use its influence to steer Iran toward negotiations.
During a subsequent meeting with Iran’s foreign minister, Wang reiterated China’s support for restoring “normal and safe passage” through the strait while also backing Iran’s right to protect its sovereignty and security interests.
The diplomatic dispute has also reached the United Nations. China last month vetoed a U.S.-backed resolution calling on nations to cooperate in protecting commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, arguing that the proposal unfairly targeted Iran.
The U.S. and Bahrain have since drafted another resolution demanding Iran cease attacks and mining activities in the waterway, while also condemning attempts to impose what it describes as illegal shipping tolls. Diplomats, however, expect China and Russia could again block the measure if it reaches a vote.
At the same time, Beijing has instructed Chinese firms not to comply with U.S. sanctions targeting Chinese refineries accused of purchasing Iranian crude oil, underscoring the deepening geopolitical divide over the crisis.