China’s Foreign Ministry said this week it does not recognize the latest U.S. sanctions targeting Iran and countries trading with it, calling for a diplomatic resolution instead.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said sanctions and pressure “will not help resolve the issue,” urging parties to pursue political and diplomatic channels rather than economic coercion. The statement builds on a formal directive China’s Commerce Ministry issued in May, invoking a 2021 “blocking statute” that prohibits Chinese firms from complying with foreign sanctions Beijing deems illegitimate.
The rejection follows an escalating U.S. pressure campaign. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent called on U.S. allies and other countries, including China, to join what he called “the toughest sanctions in history” against Iran, describing a plan pairing a naval blockade with sweeping sanctions intended to squash Iran’s economy and collapse the regime. President Donald Trump had separately announced what he termed an “economic D-Day” against Tehran, threatening severe economic consequences for any country providing Iran with any kind of lifeline.
China’s response was direct. A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington told Reuters that sanctions and pressure do not help resolve the Iran issue.
Beijing’s Commerce Ministry has also declined to enforce U.S. sanctions on several Chinese refiners accused of purchasing Iranian crude. The measures apply to companies including Shandong Jincheng Petrochemical Group, Shandong Shouguang Luqing Petrochemical, Shandong Shengxing Chemical, Hengli Petrochemical’s Dalian refinery, and Hebei Xinhai Chemical Group.
China remains Iran’s largest oil customer. Reuters cited 2025 Kpler data showing China buys more than 80 percent of Iran’s shipped oil, positioning Beijing as central to any U.S. attempt to curb Tehran’s export revenue. Analysts say China’s public rejection suggests Washington may struggle to build the coordinated economic isolation officials have described.
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi also dismissed the U.S. pressure campaign, writing on social media that doubling down on failed policies will only bring further defeat.
The dispute unfolds alongside separate diplomatic efforts, including talks this week in Tehran mediated by Pakistan aimed at reviving a U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding that lapsed last week.
