China, the largest importer of Iranian oil, has major problems with export restrictions in the Gulf region, including the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports that began Monday.
China criticized the US blockade as “irresponsible and dangerous.”
He also reportedly tried to act as a peace broker in the conflict, trying to get Pakistan’s ally Iran to talk with the United States over the weekend.
But a blockade poses serious political, economic and military risks that both the United States and China would like to avoid.
BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner explains why China’s role in the conflict is too big to ignore.
