Chinese officials deny that they will provide Iran with weapons shipments and air defense systems, with the global superpower’s role in the Middle East conflict posing potential implications on an upcoming meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
China is preparing to deliver new air defense systems to Iran in coming weeks, according to three U.S. intelligence sources cited by CNN, as the U.S. and Iran are currently within the window of a two-week ceasefire. In response, Trump said Sunday that if the reports come to fruition the United States will enforce the “staggering amount” of a 50% tariff.
CNN cited two sources who stated that Beijing is working to route the shipments, which include the transfer of shoulder-fired anti-air missile systems known as MANPADs, through third countries to mask their true origin.
“China has never provided weapons to any party to the conflict; the information in question is untrue,” Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington D.C., told Military.com. “As a responsible major country, China consistently fulfills its international obligations.
“We urge the U.S. side to refrain from making baseless allegations, maliciously drawing connections, and engaging in sensationalism. We hope that relevant parties will do more to help de-escalate tensions.”
On Monday, April 13, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called the current U.S.-Iran ceasefire "very fragile,” according to Reuters, urging the global community to "unequivocally oppose any actions that undermine the ceasefire or escalate the confrontation."
Those remarks were reportedly made via phone to Wang’s Pakistani counterpart, Mohammad Ishaq Dar.
US Blockade in Strait of Hormuz
The situation in the Middle East, notably as coincides with the highly reported ongoings in the Strait of Hormuz, has escalated. The global oil chokepoint has resulted in drastically rising gas prices in the U.S.
On Sunday, U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) announced that forces would begin implementing a blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports by 10 a.m. ET on April 13, in accordance with Trump’s proclamation.
The blockade is being enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman, according to CENTCOM, adding that U.S. forces will not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports.
Wang told Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, special envoy of the UAE President for China, in Beijing on Monday that the U.S. blockade of the strait does not serve the common interests of the international community, according to Reuters, citing a China Foreign Ministry statement.
The long-term solution in the region involved a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire achieved through political and diplomatic means, Wang added.
In 2025, China imported about half of its crude oil and nearly one-third of its liquefied natural gas from the Middle East, according to China’s General Administration of Customs. Roughly 42% of crude oil imported by China, equating to approximately 4.9 million barrels per day, came from Saudi Arabia (14%), Iraq (11%), United Arab Emirates (7%), Oman (6%), Kuwait (3%) and Qatar (1%). However, China's energy supply is more diversified.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun echoed the sentiment at a press conference on Monday, saying that China stood ready to "play a positive and constructive role" in resolving the situation.
When asked about the reports of China supplying Iran with weapons, Guo wrote them off as "groundless smears and malicious associations.”
"China has consistently taken a prudent and responsible approach to arms exports," Guo said.
China's Stance and Messaging 'Contradictions'
The People’s Republic of China “has long been walking a narrative tightrope of ‘all-weather’ strategic partnerships with adversaries to the Transatlantic Alliance on the one hand, while outwardly pretending to be a ‘stabilizing vector for peace’ on the other,” Laura Harth, China in the World director at Safeguard Defenders, told Military.com.
She described China’s geopolitical stance as “a seeming contradiction, saying that both aforementioned messages serve Beijing's primary purpose of undermining U.S. standing and global alliances.
“In my view, further direct or indirect support to Iran should be read in the same way,” Harth said. “Beijing may seek to frame it as a tool to safeguard its economic interests—in particular in the Strait—but the CCP has made it crystal clear time and again that its economic policies are strictly subservient to its broader geostrategic goal of destabilizing (and dethroning) the U.S., with the immediate aim of removing any obstacles to Xi's illegitimate claims over Taiwan.”
China’s role in global conflicts and, more specifically negotiating potential arms transfers with Iran, is nothing new, Yun Sun, senior fellow and director of the China Program at the Stimson Center, told Military.com.
“China had been in talks with Iran over air defense systems before, and was disturbed that Iran appeared more interested in other suppliers,” Sun said. “No one should be surprised that China will rearm and rebuild Iran down the road.
“But given the upcoming Trump visit to China, China most likely will not take immediate moves. There is no need to spoil the good momentum they have been building with POTUS.”
The summit between Trump and Xi has already been delayed due to the military operation in the Middle East that began Feb. 28. Now, the pair of presidents are hoping to meet early in May to discuss widespread issues and concerns.
Harth said that the current geopolitical landscape may empower Beijing and be used in broader negotiations.
“In that respect, and in view of the upcoming Summit, one must ask whether Beijing is seeking to create a tit for tat scenario where direct military assistance to Iran is put on the table as a counterweight to expected U.S. military deliveries to Taiwan,” Harth said.
