China Vows to Back Iran Diplomacy as Trump Targets Tehran's Trading Partners

BEIJING —

BEIJING, China: China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it remains "actively committed" to promoting diplomacy over the US-Iran war, in a statement that surfaced just one day before US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is expected to announce measures targeting Tehran's trading partners, The Straits Times reported.

Vice Foreign Minister Miao Deyu made the comments during meetings with Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi in Beijing on August 17, according to a statement China's foreign ministry did not release until August 23, The Straits Times reported. The ministry did not explain the nearly weeklong delay.

A Statement Timed to Washington's Next Move

The disclosure landed just ahead of Bessent's plan to shift the conflict from military strikes toward broader economic isolation of Iran, according to The Straits Times. President Donald Trump had threatened Iran and its trading partners earlier in the week, after months of strikes and a naval blockade failed to bring Tehran to heel, The Straits Times reported.

China is Iran's biggest oil buyer and was its second-largest trading partner overall in 2025, trailing only the United Arab Emirates, according to The Straits Times. That relationship makes Beijing a central target of any US effort to squeeze Iran financially. The UAE, by contrast, said this week it has severed all economic ties with Tehran, accusing Iran of firing ballistic missiles at its territory, The Straits Times reported.

Beijing has argued that sanctions will not resolve the conflict. Iran, for its part, dismissed Trump's threats as a "diversion" from what it called America's own debt and interest rate troubles, The Straits Times reported.

Iran Says It Will Defend Its Sovereignty

Gharibabadi briefed Chinese officials on developments in the Gulf and laid out Iran's position, telling them Tehran remains "willing to continue resolving issues through diplomatic negotiations" but will act "firmly" to protect its sovereignty and security, according to the statement cited by The Straits Times. He said Iran hopes to deepen cooperation with China and praised Beijing's "upholding of justice and fairness," adding that Iran hopes China will take on a bigger role in regional peace efforts.

The standoff is also playing out in China's energy sector. Sinopec, the state-owned refiner, told investors it expects pressure on fuel demand to ease in the second half of 2026 and that earnings will keep beating forecasts despite the uncertainty in the Middle East, Nikkei Asia reported. The company's profit rose 19.3 percent in the first half of the year, according to Nikkei Asia.