Trump, Xi Put Iran at Center of Summit as China Buys 90% of Tehran's Exported Oil
Updated
Updated · Fox News · May 14
Trump, Xi Put Iran at Center of Summit as China Buys 90% of Tehran's Exported Oil
11 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 14
Iran emerged as a central issue in Trump’s Beijing talks with Xi, overshadowing a summit initially expected to focus on trade, technology and Taiwan.
China’s role as Tehran’s main economic lifeline drove the shift: Beijing buys about 90% of Iran’s exported oil, and Washington has hit Chinese refiners with secondary sanctions.
Thursday’s first bilateral meeting produced limited common ground — both sides said Iran must never get a nuclear weapon, and Xi signaled interest in buying more U.S. oil while opposing any disruption or tolls in the Strait of Hormuz.
Beijing publicly told companies not to comply with U.S. sanctions, but regulators also reportedly told major banks to halt new lending to some sanctioned refiners, suggesting an effort to shield China’s financial system.
Analysts say Trump is unlikely to win a major Iran concession from Xi; at most, Beijing may quietly press Tehran to avoid wider energy-market disruption, while seeking leverage elsewhere in the U.S.-China relationship.
How might continued US-China friction over Iran reshape global energy security and the balance of power in the Middle East?
Can US pressure realistically force China to restrain Iran’s nuclear and military ambitions, or will China’s strategic interests override US demands?
With the Strait of Hormuz recently closed, how long can global oil reserves and emergency measures prevent an energy crisis if tensions persist?