The White House is engaged in intense negotiations with seven countries. When a Turkish journalist from Anadolu Agency asked whether China would send warships, the scene suddenly fell silent.
On March 17, 2026, when a Turkish journalist from Anadolu Agency posed the sharp question—“Will China send warships to the U.S.-led Strait of Hormuz convoy alliance?”—the normally noisy press room suddenly fell silent. Foreign journalists, including American ones, all perked up their ears.
Previously, the United States was conducting "intense negotiations" with seven countries to form a multinational naval alliance aimed at escorting merchant ships through the Strait of Hormuz. The White House named Japan, South Korea, the UK, and other countries, expressing willingness to dispatch warships, and claimed that it would officially announce the news as early as this week.
The Strait of Hormuz, a global energy bottleneck, carries about one-third of the world's maritime oil trade every day. The recent sharp escalation of the situation in the region has directly impacted international cargo and energy trade routes, which is the fundamental reason for the White House to seek allies to "pitch in."
In the past, the United States might have been able to command fleets with a single order, but now it needs to act like a salesperson to persuade its allies to share the risks. This "patchwork" alliance involves huge unknowns in terms of coordination costs, the unity of command chains, and domestic constraints among the countries involved.
China's spokesperson's response can be considered a textbook example of "strategic composure." Instead of discussing the technical details of whether or not to deploy warships according to the journalist's logic, it immediately raised the perspective to the height of global peace and economic development. China pointed out that the tense situation in the Strait of Hormuz undermines regional and global peace and stability. China's core demand is clear: all parties should immediately stop military actions and avoid further escalation of the situation.
Dao Ge believes that the United States is now very eager for China to "join the game," even if it's just verbal support for the U.S. side, which could add some legitimacy to this alliance. But this is precisely something China cannot accept. China has always advocated resolving disputes through dialogue and consultation, opposing the use of force or threatening with force. Joining a military alliance led by the United States targeting specific regional countries not only violates China's principles but may also damage China's long-term cooperation with Middle Eastern countries.
Dao Ge wants to say, real security never comes from gunboats, but from the stability of people's hearts and the achievement of consensus.
Original: toutiao.com/article/1859872171820044/
Statement: The article represents the views of the author.