China has urged the United States and Iran to return to the negotiating table after Washington launched an operation to close the Strait of Hormuz on Monday and threatened to impose 50% tariffs on countries that supply arms to Tehran.
US President Donald Trump, in April 12, threatened to impose a 50% tariff on China after reports that Beijing was preparing to deliver air defense systems to Iran, signaling a broader effort to curb foreign support for Tehran and potentially expand pressure on other trading partners.
Chinese commentators said Washington was trying to exert “extreme pressure” on Beijing in an attempt to force it to push Iran toward concessions in line with US demands. They argued that after failing to secure breakthroughs on the battlefield or at the negotiating table, the US is increasingly turning to trade measures and tariff threats to gain influence.
“Trump has changed his tactics. The White House wants to combine military pressure with Israel and use tariffs to end Iran’s external ‘bailout laws,'” wrote a Henan-based columnist named “Da Bao.” saysreferring to Iran’s “lifelines” as its revenue from crude oil shipments to China.
“The US is warning China not to send military equipment to Iran. Its purpose is not to enforce the rules, but to set a precedent for it to weaponize tariffs in military conflicts,” he says. “But what does ‘military’ mean? Drone components, semiconductors and maintenance services? Today it refers to ‘weapons’, but tomorrow it could be ‘technology’ and ‘funding’. This is an extension of political coercion.”
He says the use of tariffs as a strategic weapon in a hot war reflects the declining capacity of the US to mobilize allies and build consensus, as well as Washington’s increasing difficulty in resolving issues through targeted measures.
“Trump threatened a 50% tariff on China based on speculation that Beijing is helping Iran, but there is no evidence that China has supplied it with weapons.” says Ming Yue, a writer based in Hebei. “China is Iran’s second largest source of imports, with the two countries’ bilateral trade reaching $9.96 billion last year. Chinese shipments included machinery and electrical goods, auto parts, textiles and metal products, not tanks, missiles and ammunition.”
She adds that some US media and officials are framing this large volume of legitimate economic activity as military support, using it as a pretext to cast China in a negative light and heighten tensions in line with domestic political and electoral agendas.
“China has already diversified its exports to the European Union and ASEAN, so additional US tariffs will have a limited impact. In practice, the costs of the tariffs are likely to be passed on to US consumers and businesses, while US firms with exposure to China, such as Apple and Tesla, could also see disruptions to production and revenues,” she says.
She says the public is used to “TACO,” or Trump Always Chickens Out, where threats are escalated and then partially reversed.
Sacrificing Hezbollah
In early April, Trump warned of possible military strikes against Iran and said the country would be pushed back into the “Stone Age” if it did not reopen the Strait of Hormuz. In the last 1.5 hours before Trump’s April 7 deadline, the US, Iran and Israel reached a two-week provisional ceasefire.
The deal, set to expire on April 21, had raised hopes for de-escalation in the region.
However, on April 8, Israel GOING large-scale airstrikes across Beirut, the Bekaa Valley and the southern regions of Lebanon. The attacks were reportedly aimed at eliminating Hezbollah Secretary General Naim Qassem, but instead killed his nephew and personal secretary, Ali Yusuf Harshi.
On April 11, US Vice President JD Vance met with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to seek a long-term ceasefire agreement during negotiations in Islamabad, Pakistan.
The American side looking for Tehran to give up its stockpile of highly enriched uranium and halt related nuclear weapons capabilities, while Iranian negotiators rejected the proposal. Iranian officials also rejected Washington’s proposal to jointly manage the Strait of Hormuz. They said the cease-fire agreement should cover Lebanon, but Israel continued to hunt down Hezbollah leaders.
The US-Iran talks, which lasted about 21 hours, ended without an agreement.
Some Chinese commentators said that if Tehran had known that Israel would attack Lebanon, it would not have agreed to a 14-day ceasefire. They see it as a trap set up jointly by the US and Israel to restore pressure on Iran while maintaining military influence.
A writer based in Guangdong using the pen name “Lao Ge” quotes wisdom of the Commentary on Zuo, an ancient Chinese narrative history of the state of Lu (present-day Shandong Province) from 722 to 481 BC, stating that an army must “press the advantage once, or be weakened the second time and exhausted the third” during a war.
He says the temporary ceasefire is “a carefully designed trap” and that the two-week pause may mark not a break for Iran but the start of a strategic setback. He describes three risks:
- Loss of momentum: Iran’s wartime mobilization weakens once the cease-fire takes effect. The public mood shifts from urgency to relief, reducing inhibition and resolve.
- Pressure on allies: As Iran pauses, Israel continues to strike Hezbollah in Lebanon. If Iran intervenes, it risks breaking the ceasefire; if it doesn’t, Hezbollah could be permanently weakened.
- Loss of leverage: Reopening the Strait of Hormuz removes Iran’s strongest bargaining chip, stabilizes global oil markets and gives the US time to bolster military assets in the region.
He says that, in retrospect, Tehran may have been better served by keeping up the pressure despite US threats on April 7 and the destruction of several power plants, rather than losing its allies in Lebanon.
“The Strait of Hormuz is a crucial issue in the success or failure of the current US-Iran negotiations.” said Qin Tian, deputy director of the Middle East Studies Institute at the Chinese Institute of Contemporary International Relations (CICIR).
“For Iran, the Strait is one of the most effective tools in its confrontation with the US and Israel, and a key asset in its national security tools,” he said. “Tehran must use this leverage to secure sufficient concessions.”
He said the competition between the US and Iran for control of the Strait of Hormuz will further intensify.
Beijing’s responses
On Monday, the US moving to enforce the blockade through naval operations in the Gulf of Oman, targeting vessels associated with Iranian trade while allowing neutral vessels to pass. US Central Command warned that ships violating the restricted zone could be captured, underscoring the scale of the operation.
The US said its forces have also begun mine-clearing efforts in and around the Strait of Hormuz after reports that Iranian forces laid sea mines, cutting off a significant portion of global oil flows. U.S. officials said reopening shipping lanes could be slow and pose operational risks.
Guo Jiakun, a spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry, said The Strait of Hormuz is an important international trade route for goods and energy, and keeping the area safe, stable and open serves the common interests of the international community.
“The main cause of the rift in the Strait of Hormuz is the military conflict. To resolve the issue, the conflict must be stopped as soon as possible. All parties must remain calm and exercise restraint,” he said. “China will continue to play a constructive role.”
Chinese Defense Minister, Admiral Dong Jun warned Washington opposes imposing a blockade on the Strait of Hormuz and warned it not to interfere in China’s bilateral ties with Iran.
“China has trade and energy agreements with Iran and we expect others not to interfere in our affairs,” he said, adding that the Strait of Hormuz remains open to Chinese shipping.
Read: China imports US oil for Asian fuel markets amid Hormuz crisis
Follow Jeff Pao at X at @jeffpao3
