China's UN ambassador criticizes US-proposed resolution on Strait of Hormuz

China's U.N. ambassador on Friday criticized ​a proposed U.S.-Bahraini resolution on the Strait of Hormuz, saying the content and timing were not right and passing it would not be helpful.

The draft ⁠resolution demands Iran halt attacks and mining in the strait, but diplomats ⁠have said it is likely to meet ‌with Russian and Chinese vetoes ​if it comes to a vote. Both countries vetoed a similar U.S.-backed resolution last month, arguing it was biased against Iran.

The Pass Blue news portal, which focuses on U.N. news, posted a short clip ​of an impromptu interview ⁠with China's U.N. envoy Fu Gong in which he said, when asked about the resolution: "We don't think the content is right, and the timing is not right.

"What we need is ⁠to urge ‌both sides to engage in serious and good-faith negotiations that can resolve the issue. So passing ‌a resolution at this stage, we don't think is going to be helpful," he ⁠said.

Fu said that if it were up to China as the current president of the 15-member ‌U.N. Security Council, the resolution would not be put ‌up for a vote.

China's U.N. mission said it ‌was China's responsibility as council president to arrange a vote ‌if the resolution drafters requested this, but so far there had been no request.

The U.S. mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to ⁠a request ⁠for comment.

Fu's remarks came after U.S. President Donald Trump held a two-day summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping that ended on Friday, during which, according to the White House, they agreed that the strait must remain open and Xi made clear China's opposition to the militarization of the waterway and any effort to ​charge a toll for its use.

Xi did not comment ​on the issue, although ​China's foreign ministry aired Beijing's frustration with the Iran war, saying: "This conflict, which should ​never have happened, has no reason to continue."