No Country Agrees to Trump’s Request: Calls to Halt Hostilities, Urge Caution, or Keep Talking [U.S.–Iran Conflict]

Financial News, Seoul/Tokyo – Reporter Hong Chae-wan and Correspondent Seo Hye-jin. On the 14th (local time), U.S. President Donald Trump asked five countries, including South Korea, Japan, and China, to send forces to the Strait of Hormuz, and their responses are diverging.
The Government of the People's Republic of China avoided giving a direct answer to the U.S. request that day. A spokesperson for the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the United States of America, responding on the 14th to a Cable News Network (CNN) question about whether China planned to deploy naval forces to the Strait of Hormuz, stated, "China is calling for an immediate end to hostile acts," adding, "All parties have a responsibility to ensure a stable and uninterrupted energy supply." The spokesperson went on, "As a true friend and strategic partner of countries in the Middle East, China will continue to strengthen communication with relevant nations, including the parties to the conflict, and will play a constructive role in easing tensions and restoring peace."
Takayuki Kobayashi, Chairperson of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Policy Research Council, commented on the 15th that, "We cannot completely rule out the legal possibility, but as long as the conflict continues, we must make a cautious judgment." Local media reported that Trump may formally ask for the dispatch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) at the U.S.-Japan summit on the 19th. In response, Kobayashi noted, "There is a very high barrier to sending the JSDF." He mentioned the possibility of invoking "Maritime Security Operations" under Article 82 of the Self-Defense Forces Act as a measure to protect commercial vessels.
Earlier, Prime Minister of Japan Sanae Takaichi said on the 13th, when asked about the issue at a session of the Budget Committee of the House of Representatives of Japan, that "nothing has been decided yet." The day before, on the 12th, Takaichi had addressed reports that the Islamic Republic of Iran had laid mines in the Strait of Hormuz, telling the same Budget Committee that "we cannot envisage deploying the JSDF nearby in advance for the purpose of removing them."
The two European countries singled out, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (UK) and France, are also deeply concerned. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence of the United Kingdom said, "We are currently in discussions with our allies and partners to ensure the safety of shipping in the region," but within the UK, experts are divided over whether to take part in any deployment. Alan West, former First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff, told The Telegraph, "If there is a joint naval operation to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, we should take part." By contrast, Neil Morisetti, a former rear admiral in the Royal Navy who escorted tankers in the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran–Iraq War, told The Times that "the UK has underinvested in its navy for decades" and judged that "the risks are simply too great at present to guarantee the safety of oil tankers."
In the case of France, President of France Emmanuel Macron has reportedly drawn a line by saying that he is willing to send French naval vessels to the Gulf region for escort missions, but only after the most intense phase of the war with the Islamic Republic of Iran is over.
whywani@fnnews.com Reporter