The war against Iran has further complicated relations between the United States and China. This issue is expected to be one of the main topics of the summit between US President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing on May 14-15.
According to Modern.az, "Reuters" presented the main issues on the agenda of Washington and Beijing. It was stated that the US-Israel war against Iran is changing the calculations in relations between the two countries.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the two leaders would discuss the Iran war and called on China to "join this international operation to open the Strait of Hormuz for international shipping."
However, while Beijing had previously secretly encouraged Iran to begin peace talks with the US through Pakistan, analysts believe that China will not act solely on Washington's instructions.
After the Iranian foreign minister's visit to Beijing last week, China called for "a complete cessation of military operations."
Regarding the nuclear issue, Beijing stated that "China highly appreciates Iran's commitment not to develop nuclear weapons, while recognizing Iran's right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes."
The US, on the other hand, claims that Iran is trying to create a nuclear bomb and demands that Tehran renounce its right to enrich uranium for 20 years, as well as hand over its highly enriched uranium reserves.
The prolongation of the war also seriously affects China's energy security. Beijing is forced to reduce exports of profitable refined products such as gasoline and aviation fuel to protect its domestic market.
Approximately half of China's crude oil imports come from the Middle East. Due to the possible closure of the Strait of Hormuz and the US blockade, ships are stranded in the Persian Gulf and face the threat of attack.
According to Chinese customs data, as a result of the conflict, the country's total crude oil imports in April decreased by 20% compared to last year, falling to the lowest level in nearly four years.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is not in the common interests of the international community. It was also confirmed last week that an oil tanker with a Chinese crew was attacked in the strait.
China remains the largest buyer of Iranian oil despite pressure from the Trump administration.
More than 80% of Iran's exported oil goes to China. Chinese independent oil refiners benefit from cheap Iranian oil under US sanctions.
According to estimates, in 2025, China bought an average of 1.38 million barrels of Iranian oil per day.
In April, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions against Chinese independent oil refiner Hengli Petrochemical for purchasing billions of dollars worth of Iranian oil. The department also sent letters to two Chinese banks, warning them that they could face secondary sanctions if they assisted in the trade of Iranian oil.
Beijing reacted harshly to this. The Chinese Ministry of Commerce ordered companies not to comply with US sanctions against five refineries and, for the first time, used a law that allows for retaliatory measures against foreign sanctions that China deems illegal.
Just a few days before Trump's visit, the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions against two companies in China and two in Hong Kong. They are accused of assisting Iran's attempts to acquire weapons and ballistic missile materials from China.
