A Chinese spokesperson stated on Monday that China was concerned about the "forced interception" by the U.S. of a cargo ship flying the Iranian flag. He urged all parties to adhere to the ceasefire agreement responsibly.

Guo Jiakun, a spokesman for the Chinese government, said during a press conference that "the situation in the Strait of Hormuz" is complex and sensitive. He added that the parties involved must avoid further escalation, and "create conditions for normal transit to resume through the Strait of Hormuz."

The United States (U.S. The?U.S. The Iranian military claimed that the ship was travelling from China, and promised retaliation for what they called "armed piratery by the U.S. military."

Beijing on Monday also urged the?relevant parties to 'continue the momentum of the?ceasefire and -negotiations.

Guo stated that "now that a window for peace has opened up, it is important to create favourable conditions to bring the war to an end as soon as possible." (Reporting and writing by Liz Lee, Xiuhao chen; editing by Christian Schmollinger & Raju Gopalakrishnan).

(source: Reuters)