Trump’s Tuesday travel to Beijing underscored how the Iran conflict is colliding with U.S.-China diplomacy, trade pressure, and sanctions—at moments the president tried to make the issues sound manageable while his administration took actions that put new friction in the relationship. In remarks before boarding for the summit, Trump sought to minimize how much the Iran war should complicate talks with Xi Jinping, even as he acknowledged he and Xi would discuss the conflict.
Trump told reporters, “We’re going to have a long talk about it,” referring to his plans to discuss the war with Xi. Minutes later, he added that he would not characterize Iran as a major item on the agenda, saying, “I wouldn’t say Iran is one of them, to be honest with you, because we have Iran very much under control.” The comments reflected an effort to reduce the need for direct persuasion of Beijing on Iran even as the conflict has raised global stakes for shipping and oil markets.
AP reported that the conflict has also tested the relationship between Washington and Beijing, with Trump repeatedly pressing Xi to use China’s “considerable leverage” to push Iran toward terms that would end a war that had been underway for more than two months by the time of Trump’s departure. Trump’s posture has shifted during the fighting, AP said, as he alternated between saying China has not done enough and acknowledging that Xi’s government helped de-escalate the conflict last month by nudging Tehran back toward ceasefire talks when negotiations wobbled.
In the days leading up to the summit, the U.S. announced sanctions on multiple fronts aimed at Iran-linked support involving China. The State Department said on Friday it was sanctioning four entities, including three China-based firms, for providing sensitive satellite imagery that can enable Iranian military strikes against U.S. forces in the Middle East. The Treasury Department then moved to target Chinese oil refineries accused of buying oil from Tehran, along with shippers of the oil—measures that the administration said would cut the companies off from the U.S. financial system and penalize anyone who does business with them.
Beijing rejected the measures. AP reported that China called the sanctions “illegal unilateral pressure” and enacted a blocking statute passed in 2021 that, until now, had not been used, prohibiting Chinese entities from recognizing or complying with the sanctions. The legal and diplomatic dispute over enforcement is now part of the broader Trump-Xi relationship as both sides assess how far the Iran war can reach into their trading ties.
U.S. officials have framed the Iran conflict and the Strait of Hormuz as issues where China’s influence could matter. AP said Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent have stepped up their calls for China to use its influence to help reopen the strait. Before the war began, about 20% of the world’s crude flowed through the waterway, a figure AP cited as the basis for the U.S. push.
AP also reported that China has publicly insisted it wants to see the war end and that it has worked diplomatically behind the scenes, including to help its ally Pakistan broker a peace agreement. But analysts cited by AP said Beijing has been cautious about getting pulled in more deeply. Ahmed Aboudouh of the London-based Chatham House think tank said China appears “very cautious, risk averse,” and does not want to become involved in something it does not consider its problem.
The sanctions push comes as events around the region add to the uncertainty. AP reported that Kuwait on Tuesday accused Iran of dispatching an armed Revolutionary Guard team to launch a failed attack earlier this month on an island in Kuwait, a country that hosts a China-funded port project. Iran did not immediately acknowledge the allegation, AP said.
China’s engagement is also shaped by ongoing tensions between Washington and Beijing that analysts say could be worsened if the Iran war becomes a proxy for wider disputes. AP reported that China wants to prevent further deterioration in the U.S.-China relationship because it would add challenges to its economy. Analysts said the two governments have already faced difficult moments, including over reported plans to deliver new air defense systems to Iran that led Trump to threaten a 50% tariff on China before he backed away after receiving written assurances from Xi. Trump also said days later that the U.S. Navy intercepted a Chinese vessel carrying a “gift” for Iran, without providing further explanation.
Even with the Iran war in focus, AP reported that both leaders have incentives to avoid repeating the worst phase of their trade confrontation last year, when the two sides appeared on the verge of a massive trade war. Trump had set tariffs on Chinese goods at 145% and China tightened rare-earth export controls that could have hurt U.S. industry, before the two sides reached a fragile truce in October. Kurt Campbell, a former deputy secretary of state during the Biden administration and chair of The Asia Group, said it would be “difficult to get the Chinese deeply involved under any circumstances,” describing the prospect as political “quicksand” for Beijing.
sources: []