China on Wednesday once again denied claims that a vessel intercepted by the United States was carrying a “gift” from Beijing to Iran, following accusations made a day earlier by US President Donald Trump.
Trump had alleged that the Iranian-flagged ship, seized by US forces in the Gulf of Oman on Sunday, was transporting what he described as “a gift from China,” adding that the gesture “wasn’t very nice.”
His remarks followed a post on X by former US ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, who claimed the ship originated from China and was linked to chemical materials intended for missile production in Iran.
Reacting to Haley’s statement during a routine press briefing on Tuesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun dismissed the claims, describing the vessel as “a foreign container ship” and stressing that China opposes “any malicious association and speculation.”
When asked again about Trump’s comments on Wednesday, Guo reiterated that China had already made its stance clear.
“As a responsible major country, China has always set a good example in fulfilling its due international obligation,” he said.
Trump also expressed surprise over the development, noting that he believed he had reached an “understanding” with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Just a week earlier, Trump had stated that Xi assured him China would not supply weapons to Iran.
While Beijing maintains close ties with Tehran and has condemned US-Israeli strikes on Iran as illegal, it has also criticised attacks on Gulf nations and called for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
According to US Central Command (CENTCOM), the intercepted vessel, identified as Touska, was en route to Iran’s Bandar Abbas port.
CENTCOM reported that the guided missile destroyer USS Spruance fired multiple rounds from its five-inch calibre gun to disable the ship after instructing it to evacuate its engine room.
The incident comes amid heightened tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, which has been largely shut since the onset of the Middle East conflict.
Although Iran briefly reopened the strait on Friday following a ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, it shut it again the next day in response to the continued US blockade on vessels heading to and from Iranian ports.