Secretary of State Marco Rubio says the United States and China agree that the Strait of Hormuz should not be “militarized.” Rubio made the remarks in an interview with NBC News after traveling with President Donald Trump to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. He said Trump discussed the ongoing conflict involving Iran with Xi during the summit.
Rubio also referenced the wider situation affecting the waterway, saying Iran has kept the Strait of Hormuz closed despite a ceasefire in its war with the United States and Israel. In that context, Rubio framed the U.S.-China position as support for avoiding any military escalation in the critical shipping lane.
The reporting describes Rubio’s account of discussions between Trump and Xi, rather than a formal joint statement from the two governments. The common elements across the outlets are Rubio’s claim of U.S. and China alignment on preventing the Strait of Hormuz from being “militarized,” and his description of Trump and Xi’s discussion of the Iran-related conflict.
