Attacked oil tanker flagged by Marshall Islands with Chinese crew, no casualties reported so far: FM responds to reported attack of Chinese oil tanker near Hormuz

In response to media inquiries regarding reports claiming that a Chinese-owned oil products tanker was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a press briefing on Friday that according to information available so far, the attacked tanker is flagged by the Marshall Islands and carries Chinese crew members. So far, no casualties among the crew have been reported by the tanker.

According to reports from Reuters and other media outlets on the Thursday, a Chinese-owned oil products tanker was attacked near the Strait of Hormuz on Monday. At Friday's press briefing, a foreign media reporter asked Lin what information China could provide on the reported incident and what measures China would take to ensure the safety of Chinese ships and crew members in the region.

Lin said that the Strait of Hormuz is a strait used for international navigation. China is deeply concerned that a large number of vessels and crew members have been affected by the conflict and stranded in the strait.

The Chinese side believes that restoring smooth passage through the strait as soon as possible and safeguarding the safety of civilian vessels and crew serves the common interests of countries in the region and the international community, the spokesperson said. 

"China calls on all parties to take practical measures to prevent the situation in the strait from worsening. China is willing to work with the international community to continue making efforts to promote ceasefire and peace talk and to de-escalate the situation in the strait," Lin noted.