(Reuters) <\/p>\n\n\n\n
BEIJING, April 13 – China urged calm and restraint by all sides on Monday, following U.S. President Donald\u00a0Trump’s threat<\/a>\u00a0to \u200bblockade the Strait of Hormuz after the failure of weekend \u200ctalks in Islamabad aimed at ending the Iran war.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before the war, most Iranian oil exports were shipped<\/a> to China, the top global importer of crude.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keeping the key \u200bStrait of Hormuz waterway safe, stable and unimpeded served the interest \u200bof the international community, foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told \u2060a regular press conference, when asked about the blockade threat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n “China hopes \u200bthe relevant parties will abide by the temporary ceasefire arrangements, remain committed \u200bto resolving disputes through political and diplomatic means, and avoid a resumption of hostilities,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n China stood ready to “play a positive and constructive role” in resolving the \u200bcrisis, Guo added, calling the opening talks in the Pakistani capital a \u200bstep in a direction conducive to easing tension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n After the marathon talks<\/a> failed, the U.S. Central \u200cCommand \u2060said its forces would begin a blockade of all maritime traffic with Iranian ports from 10 a.m. ET (1400 GMT) on Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n China and Pakistan had backed peace talks in March while urging an immediate ceasefire<\/a> in the \u200bIran war and restoration \u200bof normal \u2060navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, a conduit for about a fifth of global oil and gas supplies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Guo \u200brejected reports<\/a> that China had plans to supply weapons to \u200bIran as “groundless \u2060smears and malicious associations”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n