Earlier this month, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent spoke Threat of sanctions Against any country continuing to buy Iranian crude oil, he did not mention China by name. He didn’t need that. China, the Islamic Republic’s largest oil consumer, is directly in Washington’s crosshairs.
The United States has already unveiled new sanctions against 60 individuals, companies and ships linked to Iranian trade, including some in mainland China and Hong Kong. After only three months May summit Talks between President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump appear to have stabilized bilateral trade relations, but the fragile calm is being tested again.
So far, China has indicated that it will not be subject to coercion. The confrontation sets the stage for what could be the next major rupture in an already fraught relationship.
Washington has not stood idly by since May. The Pentagon in June Added dozens of companies — including Alibaba, Baidu and BYD — to its list of “Chinese military companies,” a designation that could restrict these companies’ ability to access U.S. capital and the market. In July, A. announced Tariff 10-12.5 percent on goods from 60 economies, including China, after a Section 301 investigation into forced labor.
Beijing’s response to this attack was deliberate and deliberate. The days of blanket retaliation with tariffs are over. Instead, China has favored a ceasefire where the costs of escalation outweigh its benefits, and to respond precisely when its core interests are threatened.
