A Chinese tanker is attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz, Bloomberg reported today, citing ship-tracking data showing the VLCC moving south along the eastern side of the chokepoint.
The moment is delicate for relations between the United States, China, and Iran as President Trump heads to Beijing for talks with President Xi on topics that are bound to include traffic via the Strait of Hormuz.
The supertanker that Bloomberg reported moving along the chokepoint, Yuan Hua Hu, is owned by Cosco, and if it is allowed to pass, it would only be the third tanker carrying oil for China from the Persian Gulf that has traversed Hormuz since the start of the war.
The vessel is broadcasting its Chinese origin and crew, Bloomberg said, as other vessels have done previously to secure safe passage.
In April, two very large Chinese crude carriers were allowed to pass the Strait of Hormuz under Iran’s toll system that demands payment of $2 million per supertanker to pass.
