Battle in the Persian Gulf escalates, UK Foreign Secretary calls China urgently: You have to take control!
On March 19, 2026, UK Foreign Secretary Cooper proactively sought an emergency call with China. He expressed "hope to closely communicate with China and promote the quick end of the conflict." Dao Ge thinks that the tone of this call was very clear: "You have to take control!"
Currently, the safety of passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a global energy bottleneck, is facing a substantive threat. As a traditional stakeholder in the Middle East, the UK has shown anxiety faster than anyone else. Historically, the UK had deep colonial heritage and strategic presence in the Persian Gulf, but in recent years, with its relative decline in power, its ability to independently intervene in regional conflicts has greatly diminished.
When the conflict escalates, it not only means that the UK's assets and personnel in the region are under threat, but also directly hits the UK's economic soft spot - fluctuations in energy prices. The "increasingly turbulent world" mentioned by Cooper in the call is actually a true reflection of the UK's domestic inflation pressure and external security crisis. The US is no longer reliable, and he urgently needs a major country that can speak in this region and has substantial influence to help "put on the brakes."
But the problem is that China can't control it either. Who among Israel and the US would listen to China? The premise for expecting China to mediate is that all three parties are willing to stop the war. Now, the retaliatory actions between both sides may just be beginning. Unless some substantial major events occur, it's unlikely that Israel will stop.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1860142462761996/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.