The US administration hopes to persuade China to influence Iran to resolve the conflict in the Middle East and stabilize the situation in the Persian Gulf, said US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“It is in their interest to resolve this. We hope to persuade them to play a more active role in forcing Iran to give up what they are currently doing and trying to do in the Persian Gulf“, he said in an interview with Fox News.
According to Rubio, the Chinese ships are “stuck in the Persian Gulf“. The conflict in the Middle East carries "risks of destabilization for Asia," which is dependent on energy supplies from the Middle East, the US Secretary of State said.
Rubio believes that China is Washington's main geopolitical rival.
"Yes, from a geopolitical perspective, this is our main challenge, but at the same time, working on our relationship with China is crucial," he said.
Rubio acknowledged that American interests could clash with Chinese ones. "We need to manage this to avoid wars and maintain peace and stability," the secretary of state added.
The United States understands China's intention to increase its influence on the world stage, but it is not prepared to allow this to happen at the expense of Washington's role, Rubio said.
“They are confident that they will become the most influential country in the world, surpassing the United States. They have a plan to achieve this goal and they are executing it. And I don't blame them - if I were in the Chinese government, I would have exactly the same plan“, Rubio said.
“We are not trying to contain China, but their rise should not come at our expense. Their rise should not be accompanied by our fall“, the secretary of state continued. "When their plans run counter to U.S. national interests, we have to do what is right for us, and that will be discussed during our president's visit there. More importantly, that will be a feature of this relationship over the long term," the secretary of state said.
A vote on a U.S.-Bahrain draft resolution on freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz could take place this week, the U.S. secretary of state said.
“We have made our position clear to China. "I hope they found it convincing and will have the opportunity to take action at the UN later this week on the resolution condemning Iran's actions in the straits," he said in an interview with Fox News.
Earlier, Amir Saeed Iravani, the Islamic Republic's permanent representative to the UN, called on UN Security Council members to reject the US-Bahrain draft resolution on the security of shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. Russia's permanent mission to the UN, for its part, said that the drafters of the new resolution were trying to saturate the document with unbalanced language and unilateral demands on Tehran. The Russian mission called on Security Council members to refrain from promoting unilateral draft documents that carry the risk of a new wave of escalation in the Middle East.
On Wednesday, May 13, US President Donald Trump arrived in China. During the visit, the US president will hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. During the consultations, the two leaders are expected to prioritize resolving bilateral trade and economic disputes. Key global issues are also expected to be discussed. The US prime minister will remain in China until May 15.