China warned it would protect its interests if Washington imposes secondary sanctions on Iran’s trading partners
The US is expanding sanctions on financial networks that help Iran move oil revenues and foreign currency
China’s position could turn Iran’s sanctions campaign into another source of tension between Beijing and Washington
China has warned that it will take necessary measures to protect its legitimate interests if the United States imposes secondary sanctions on countries dealing with Iran, as Washington expands its economic pressure on Tehran.
Asked at a Foreign Ministry briefing about possible US secondary sanctions against countries trading with Iran, including China's purchases of Iranian oil, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said sanctions and pressure tactics would not resolve the dispute.
"Sanctions and pressure tactics do no help in resolving issues," Lin said, warning they would "only lead to escalation that serves no one's interest". He urged all parties to act "rationally and with restraint" and return to a political settlement through dialogue and negotiations.
"China will closely watch relevant developments and do what is necessary to protect our legitimate rights and interests," Lin added.
US Tightens Economic Pressure
The warning comes as Washington broadens sanctions targeting Iran's financial networks and ability to move and repatriate export revenues.
The US Treasury on August 7 sanctioned networks across several countries that it said were helping Iranian banks move hundreds of millions of dollars and return oil revenues to Iran. The measures targeted exchange houses, banks, importers and exporters and formed part of the administration's broader Economic Fury campaign.
Washington has also targeted Iranian cryptocurrency networks, with the Treasury accusing two major digital-asset exchanges and associated front companies of laundering billions of dollars and maintaining covert access to international financial systems while supporting Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
The measures are intended to restrict Tehran's ability to generate, move and repatriate funds.
China-Iran Trade At Risk
China has historically been a major buyer of Iranian oil, making Beijing particularly exposed to any US attempt to impose secondary sanctions on foreign companies or financial institutions dealing with Tehran.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry's warning came specifically in response to a question about the potential impact of such sanctions on China's trade with Iran. Beijing did not announce a specific retaliatory measure, but said it would monitor developments and protect its legitimate interests.
The dispute therefore extends beyond Iran itself: Washington's expanding sanctions campaign is increasingly putting pressure on the foreign banks, companies and trading partners that help Tehran maintain access to international commerce.
Economic Pressure On Tehran
The sanctions come as Iran's rial remains under pressure. The Central Bank of Iran's published weighted-average rate put the US dollar at 1,558,995 rials on Monday. The bank cautions that the figure is an indicative rate rather than a direct measure of the informal market price.
The pressure on foreign-currency availability matters for Iran because access to dollars and other currencies is important for international trade and imports.
For China, however, the issue is also about what Beijing sees as the use of unilateral sanctions to interfere with normal trade. Its latest warning signals that any expansion of US secondary sanctions against Iran's trading partners could create another point of confrontation between Washington and Beijing.
