LONDON, March 31 (Reuters) — Three Chinese ships recently passed through the Strait of Hormuz after coordination with relevant parties, a spokesperson from the Chinese foreign ministry stated at a daily press briefing....
LONDON, March 31 (Reuters) — Three Chinese ships recently passed through the Strait of Hormuz after coordination with relevant parties, a spokesperson from the Chinese foreign ministry stated at a daily press briefing. They emphasized the need for peace and stability in the Gulf Region.
This vital waterway has been largely closed since the outbreak of the U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran on February 28.
“The Strait of Hormuz and its surrounding waters are essential for global trade and energy supply. China urges an immediate ceasefire, an end to fighting, and the restoration of peace and stability in the Gulf Region,” said Mao Ning, the spokesperson, in response to reports about the ships' passage. However, she did not provide specifics about the vessels.
According to ship-tracking data, two Chinese container ships made it through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday after turning back on Friday during their first attempt to leave the Gulf.
The vessels navigated closely together out of the strait and into open waters, as per data from the MarineTraffic platform. “This was their successful second attempt today, marking the first container vessels to exit the Persian Gulf since the conflict began, aside from Iranian-flagged ones,” noted Rebecca Gerdes, a data analyst with Kpler, the owner of MarineTraffic.
“Both vessels are currently moving at a higher speed toward the Gulf of Oman,” she added.
Officials from COSCO, the shipping group that runs the two vessels, did not respond to inquiries for comments. COSCO previously announced on March 25 that it had resumed taking bookings for general cargo containers from Asia to the Gulf, covering countries like the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, and Iraq.
Iran has been attacking Gulf shipping and has threatened further actions, leaving hundreds of vessels and 20,000 seafarers stuck inside the Gulf. As a result, energy exports, including crude oil from Saudi Arabia and liquefied natural gas from Qatar, have nearly ceased.
While there have been some talks involving Iran, India, and Pakistan about facilitating the movement of their fleets through the strait, the oil and tanker markets are on the lookout for any signs of increased shipping activity.
The bulk of the energy shipments through the strait have been related to Iran's oil exports, with only a few other vessels managing to transit daily.
Greek Oil Tanker Departs
A Greek-operated tanker carrying Saudi crude, headed for India, also recently exited the Gulf through the strait, according to LSEG ship-tracking data.
The Maltese-flagged Marathi began transmitting its position off the coast of India on March 26 after its last known position in the Gulf was reported on March 2. The vessel was last spotted off the west coast of India on Monday, as per the LSEG data.
This was the third loaded crude tanker operated by Greek firm Dynacom to leave the Gulf since the conflict began. Dynacom did not respond to requests for comments.
Dynacom is among the few shipowners willing to navigate the strait, despite the risks posed by Iran, which include floating mines, missiles, and drones. Companies making the trip have employed strategies such as turning off their AIS tracking transponders and sailing at night to reduce visibility, sources told Reuters.
Additionally, two Indian-flagged liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) tankers crossed the strait on Saturday, following two others that recently exited with vital cooking gas supplies bound for India.