Trump Warns China Over Support for Iran as Washington Seeks Assurances From Beijing

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump warned Chinese President Xi Jinping that any direct or indirect Chinese support for Iran would be unacceptable during their recent White House summit, according to the U.S. ambassador to China.

 

 

 

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The warning came during Xi’s three-day state visit to Washington, where the two leaders discussed trade, artificial intelligence, Taiwan and the continuing conflict involving Iran.

U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue said Trump had made Washington’s position clear during the private discussions, emphasizing that assistance to Iran would be unacceptable to the United States.

Perdue said the concern covered potential Chinese assistance ranging from intelligence and military equipment to components that could support Iranian military capabilities.

According to Perdue, Washington had already communicated the same warning to Beijing several weeks before Xi arrived in the United States for the summit.

The ambassador subsequently said Washington received assurances from Chinese officials that Beijing was not providing the kind of assistance that Trump had warned against.

The issue had become increasingly important as U.S. officials examined reports of Chinese commercial and military-related support reaching Iran during the conflict.

Reuters reported before the summit that three sources familiar with U.S.-China discussions said Beijing had offered to pressure Iran in exchange for American concessions concerning arms sales to Taiwan.

That reported proposal illustrated the complicated diplomatic calculations surrounding Iran, because Washington and Beijing were simultaneously negotiating over trade, technology and Taiwan.

The discussions also reflected the broader challenge facing the Trump administration: attempting to limit Iran’s access to foreign assistance while maintaining a more stable relationship with China.

China has rejected accusations that it is deliberately supporting Iran in ways that violate international restrictions, while Beijing has repeatedly called for negotiations to resolve the conflict.

During Xi’s Washington visit, China also advocated a return to dialogue between Washington and Tehran, according to reports describing the leaders’ discussions.

Trump confirmed that Iran was discussed during his meeting with Xi, telling reporters that the two leaders had talked about the conflict but providing few public details.

The warning comes as Iran remains under intense pressure from Washington, while Tehran has continued demanding conditions for negotiations and discussing the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

The strategic waterway has become a central issue in the conflict because restrictions on shipping through Hormuz have affected international energy markets and complicated regional diplomacy.

China has important economic interests in the region and maintains significant trade relationships with Iran, making Beijing’s position potentially relevant to efforts aimed at ending the conflict.

At the same time, Washington and Beijing were seeking progress on economic issues during Xi’s visit, including reciprocal tariff reductions and mechanisms for continued trade negotiations.

The summit also produced an agreement to establish a communication channel for artificial-intelligence incidents, showing that the two governments were pursuing cooperation in some areas despite major strategic disagreements.

The Iran issue therefore became another test of the developing relationship between Trump and Xi, particularly as both governments attempt to separate areas of cooperation from unresolved security disputes.

Reuters reported that the summit ended with limited publicly announced breakthroughs on several contentious questions, including Iran, Taiwan and other major strategic issues.