China on Wednesday firmly denied claims that a vessel intercepted by the United States was carrying a “gift” from Beijing to Iran, pushing back against allegations made by United States President Donald Trump a day earlier.

Trump had alleged that an Iranian-flagged ship seized by US forces in the Gulf of Oman on Sunday contained “a gift from China”, adding that it “wasn’t very nice”. His remarks followed claims by former US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley, who wrote on X that the vessel had been travelling from China to Iran and was connected to chemical shipments intended for missile development.

Reacting to Haley’s claims during a routine press briefing on Tuesday, AFP reported that Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun dismissed the allegations, describing the vessel as “a foreign container ship”, while stressing that China opposed “any malicious association and speculation”.

When asked again on Wednesday about Trump’s comments, Guo reiterated China’s earlier position, emphasising the country’s commitment to international responsibilities. “As a responsible major country, China has always set a good example in fulfilling its due international obligation,” he said.

Trump had earlier expressed surprise over the development, stating on Tuesday that he was “a little surprised”, given that he believed he had reached an “understanding” with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Just a week prior, Trump had announced that Xi assured him there would be no Chinese weapons deliveries to Iran.

China maintains close diplomatic and economic ties with Iran and has previously condemned US-Israeli strikes on the country as illegal. However, Beijing has also criticised attacks targeting Gulf nations and has called for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial global energy route.

According to the United States Central Command, the intercepted vessel, identified as Touska, had been heading towards the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas when it was seized. CENTCOM disclosed that the guided missile destroyer USS Spruance fired multiple rounds from a five-inch calibre gun to disable the ship’s propulsion system after ordering it “to evacuate its engine room”, as stated in a post on X.

The development comes amid heightened tensions in the Strait of Hormuz, a key channel for global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments, which has remained largely shut since the outbreak of the Middle East conflict. Although Iran briefly reopened the strait on Friday following an Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire in Lebanon, it shut it again the next day in response to the continued US blockade on vessels travelling to and from Iranian ports.