The ship is moving south near the coast of Iran through the Strait of Hormuz and could become the third VLCC from China to pass through the strait since the US and Israel began bombing Iran on February 28.
The attempted passage is taking place while US President Donald Trump is on his way to Beijing for a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
Yuan Hua Hu is owned by Chinese Cosco Shipping and is said to have been loaded with up to two million barrels of oil at the Basrah terminal in Iraq in early March.
The Strait of Hormuz, which is normally traversed by ships carrying 20 percent of the world's oil and gas, is being blocked by both Iran and the United States.
