White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt announced that Chinese President Xi Jinping has assured US President Donald Trump that Beijing has not supplied weapons to Iran throughout the ongoing conflict in the region.
According to her, the assurance was conveyed directly to Trump in an effort to allay concerns about China’s involvement in the conflict. The statement was made during a press briefing also attended by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
At the same time, Bessent emphasized the importance of China’s role as a major buyer of Iranian oil, thus showing the significant economic ties between Beijing and Tehran.
China reportedly buys more than 90% of Iran’s oil exports, which accounts for about 8% of the country’s energy needs.
She also warned that any disruption in the Strait of Hormuz could potentially affect the flow of Iranian crude oil imports to China. In addition, two Chinese banks have received official warnings from the US Treasury regarding possible sanctions violations.
The warning stated that if there was evidence of Iranian funds flowing through their banking system, the US was prepared to impose secondary sanctions as an enforcement measure of existing policies.
