An isolated Iran finds China’s friendship has limits
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. HONG KONG—As street protests and a failing economy continue to put pressure on Iran’s government, its ally China has offered few signs of support. Rather than boost Tehran in its time of need, the partnership that had worried governments in the West and Middle East has instead shown signs of its limited scope and resilience.
President Trump added to the pressure on Tehran and Beijing by declaring Monday that the U.S. would impose an additional 25% tariff on countries that do business with Iran. He didn’t detail how such a tariff would be implemented, but the move risked potentially disrupting the trade truce that Trump reached with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in South Korea in October.
China denounced the proposed new tariffs. “China firmly opposes any illicit unilateral sanctions and long-arm jurisdiction, and will take all necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests," Liu Pengyu, the spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, wrote on X. When asked Monday about reports of hundreds killed in the Iranian government’s crackdown on protests, Mao Ning, a spokeswoman for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said China hoped “the Iranian government and people will overcome the current difficulties and maintain national stability." China’s reticence to stand more firmly for Iran follows its unwillingness to offer significant support for Venezuela before the U.S.
raid to seize Nicolás Maduro. China has been the largest buyer of Venezuelan oil amid U.S. sanctions.
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