China remains a big importer of Iranian oil, but its other commercial interests in the country have shifted and narrowed in recent years.
Xi Jinping meets with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, September 2, 2025. Credit: Yao Dawei/Xinhua via Getty Images
For the second time this year, an oil-rich country with strong ties to China is in the crosshairs of the U.S. military. With Iran, China’s ties go beyond oil and gas into some murky and controversial areas that have caused it problems both with the U.S. and the government in Tehran.
Chinese citizens gather in Tehran on March 2, 2026 while awaiting evacuation. Credit: Iran Federation of Chinese Organizations via Global Times.
As well as being the biggest importer of Iranian cr
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Concrete outcomes are hard to discern, but Xi Jinping will see the treatment he received from Trump as a sign that China is now a peer of the United States.
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