A Chinese oil supertanker appears to be sailing out of the Persian Gulf, a rare attempted crossing through the Strait of Hormuz just ahead of talks between US President Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.
Supertanker Yuan Hua Hu was seen moving through the waterway on Wednesday morning, past Iran’s Larak island, on the eastern side of the waterway and heading south, ship-tracking data show. The vessel is owned and operated by units of China’s Cosco Shipping, according to shipping database Equasis.
The transit — which would be only the third by a Chinese very large crude carrier since the war began — comes at a delicate time. A long-awaited leaders’ summit this week will touch on topics including the war in the Middle East and Beijing’s perceived support for Tehran. China’s private refiners have been major buyers of Iranian crude for years, providing a financial lifeline.
While the US has vacillated in its stance on Iranian oil through the conflict, it has since cranked up pressure on the trade with China, sanctioning players including mega processor Hengli Petrochemical Dalian Refinery Co Ltd. The company has denied the allegations.
The ship is currently signaling affiliation with Beijing by broadcasting its Chinese ownership and crew, a strategy widely used as a safety mechanism, especially among vessels using the Tehran-approved route through the strait.
Yuan Hua Hu’s draft indicates it’s fully loaded with oil, or close to the vessel’s 2 million barrel capacity. It was seen lifting from Iraq’s Basrah terminal in early March, according to ship-tracking data.
It’s unclear if the ship will successfully exit the Gulf, following erratic movements by other tankers including u-turns and failed crossings over the past days. Signals issued by ships in the area are often impacted by electronic interference, or spoofing, which can complicate monitoring and may misrepresent their locations.
Captains can also turn off vessels’ transponders for security reasons.
