Chinese Supertanker Attempts Strait of Hormuz Exit Ahead of Trump-Xi Talks

A Chinese oil supertanker appeared to be sailing out of the Persian Gulf on May 13, 2026, in a rare attempted transit through the Strait of Hormuz ahead of talks between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, Bloomberg reported, citing ship-tracking data. The Yuan Hua Hu, owned and operated by units of China’s Cosco Shipping, was seen passing Iran’s Larak Island and heading south. The crossing would be only the third by a Chinese very large crude carrier since the war began. The vessel’s draft indicates it is fully loaded, or near its roughly 2 million-barrel capacity, after lifting crude from Iraq’s Basrah terminal in early March. The transit comes as Washington has increased pressure on Chinese buyers of Iranian oil, including sanctions on Hengli Petrochemical Dalian Refinery Co. The company has denied the allegations. Tracking data in the region can be distorted by electronic interference, spoofing or transponders being turned off for security reasons.