China says open Strait of Hormuz crucial for global interests as Trump threatens blockade

China is pushing a ceasefire in the Iran war as key to the Strait of Hormuz being open to international trade and energy, as US President Donald Trump announced a sweeping naval operation targeting the oil transit chokepoint. Guo Jiakun, a foreign ministry spokesman, said during a daily press briefing on Monday that the strait was an important channel for international trade in goods and energy, and that “maintaining its safety, stability and unimpeded passage serves the common interests of the...