Secretary of State Marco Rubio explained Tuesday that he hopes to convince China to “play a more active role” in persuading Iran to open up the Strait of Hormuz. “We’ve made the argument to the Chinese, and I hope it’s compelling, and they’ll have a chance to do something about it at the United Nations later this week when there’s a resolution just condemning Iran on what they’re doing with the straits,” Rubio said during an appearance on Fox News’ “Hannity” that will air Wednesday evening.
“Look, there’s three things,” the secretary of state continued. “The Chinese have ships stuck in the Persian Gulf. Because setting up a system that says we’re going to let certain ships through but others not, it’s easier said than done.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Tuesday that he hopes to convince China to “play a more active role” in persuading Iran to open up the Strait of Hormuz. Fox News Rubio’s second point was the “instability” in the Persian Gulf “threatens to destabilize Asia more than any other part of the world because it’s heavily reliant on the straits for energy.” “And the third reason,” the secretary of state added, “is because China’s economy is export-driven, meaning their economy is fueled not by what they consume domestically, but by what they make and sell to other countries.”
The USS Rafael Peralta implements a blockade against an Iranian oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz. US NAVY/AFP via Getty Images “Well, of all the countries of the world, economies are melting down because of this crisis in the straits. They’re going to be buying less Chinese product and the Chinese exports are going to drop precipitously,” he warned.
“So it’s in their interest to resolve this,” Rubio said. “We hope to convince them to play a more active role in getting Iran to walk away from what they’re doing now and trying to do now in the Persian Gulf.”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
