Frank Gardner: Why China keeps cropping up in Iran war stories

As the number one importer of Iranian oil, China has a major problem with any constriction of exports in the Gulf – including the US blockade of Iran’s ports, which began on Monday.

Beijing has condemned the US blockade, calling it “irresponsible and dangerous”.

It has also reportedly sought to play peacemaker in the conflict, steering its ally Iran towards talks with the US in Pakistan last weekend. Beijing and Tehran have been allies for decades, but this is a transactional relationship with no mutual defence treaty – though Beijing may get more involved diplomatically.

But the blockade creates a serious political, economic, and possibly military risk that both the US and China will want to avoid.

At this stage it’s very unlikely that China would be involved militarily in the Strait of Hormuz. The country has a long-held policy of not intervening in other countries’ affairs.

China, which has always prioritised its own territory, is also not set up for such a deployment. Its nearest logistics hub, Djibouti, is more of an anti-piracy operation.

So, why does the country keep cropping up in stories related to the war in Iran? The BBC’s security correspondent Frank Gardner explains.