Beijing expressed "gratitude" on Tuesday as it said three Chinese ships had transited the crucial Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has all but closed during the war in the Middle East. The CSCL Indian Ocean crossed the strait at around 0914 GMT on Monday, followed by the CSCL Arctic Ocean 27 minutes later, according to data from MarineTraffic. "Following coordination with relevant parties, three Chinese vessels recently transited the Strait of Hormuz; we express our gratitude to the relevant parties for the assistance provided," foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told a regular press conference. Iran has said the Strait of Hormuz is open to ships of "friendly countries". Cosco said on Wednesday it was resuming bookings for shipments from Asia to several Gulf countries, though without using routes that transit Hormuz.

Source: The Standard March 31, 2026 20:13 UTC