China Denounces US Sanctions on Firms Tied to Iran as Trump Prepares 1st Beijing Visit Since 2017
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 11
China Denounces US Sanctions on Firms Tied to Iran as Trump Prepares 1st Beijing Visit Since 2017
9 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 11
China on Monday called recent US sanctions on several China-based companies illegal and unilateral, vowing to protect the firms' legitimate rights and interests.
The sanctions were imposed last week after Washington alleged the companies supplied satellite imagery for Iranian strikes on US forces and helped Iran obtain weapons-related materials for missile and UAV programs.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the immediate priority should be preventing a renewed outbreak of fighting, accusing the US of using the war to smear other countries.
The dispute lands days before Donald Trump's China trip—his first presidential visit to Beijing since 2017—where Iran oil purchases and Beijing's leverage over Tehran are expected to be part of the talks.
With US forces tied up in Iran, can Trump's diplomacy stop China from exploiting America's strategic vulnerability?
As China controls critical minerals, can America's new trade plan prevent its own supply chains from collapsing?
Will the US-China rivalry over trade and war permanently split the world into two competing economic systems?
China’s 2026 Challenge to US Sanctions: The Battle Over Iranian Oil and the Future of Global Economic Order
Overview
In May 2026, China escalated its economic rivalry with the US by formally ordering its companies to ignore US sanctions on five Chinese oil refiners accused of importing Iranian crude. This marked the first use of China’s 2021 blocking statute, a law designed to counter foreign legal reach and protect Chinese firms. As a result, Chinese companies now face a tough choice: comply with US sanctions and risk Chinese penalties, or follow Beijing’s order and face US consequences. This move highlights China’s determination to challenge US dominance and signals a new phase of global economic and legal confrontation.