China expressed “gratitude” on March 31 as it said three Chinese ships had transited the crucial Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has all but closed during the war in the Middle East, Reuters reported. 

Two of the vessels passed through the strait, crucial for transporting oil and gas, on March 30 as they exited the Gulf, tracking data showed.

The CSCL Indian Ocean crossed the strait at around 0914 GMT on March 30, followed by the CSCL Arctic Ocean 27 minutes later, according to data from MarineTraffic, according to Reuters.