China hosted Iran’s deputy foreign minister for talks last week related to the US-Iran war, Beijing announced Sunday, disclosing the previously unreported meeting one day before Washington is expected to unveil “the toughest sanctions in history” against Tehran.
The Trump administration has warned of an “Economic D-Day” for Iran and its trading partners, including China, a major importer of Iranian oil.
Beijing has moved to insulate itself economically, slashing crude imports nearly 50% since the war started, according to The Wall Street Journal, and bolstering domestic energy.
Experts warn that Beijing’s resilience could complicate Washington’s strategy. China, writes Shanghai Institutes for International Studies’ Zhao Long, is adept at “containing spillover, reducing risks, diversifying dependencies, [and] avoiding strategic entanglement.”