[49947] Diplomatic Escalation: China Refuses to Comply with US Sanctions on Iranian Oil Purchases

Rising tensions between Beijing and Washington over Iranian oil exports

Against the backdrop of rising tensions ahead of the leaders' summit scheduled for May 14 between US President Donald Trump and the head of the Chinese regime Xi Jinping, news channels are reporting a dramatic move by China. NTD Hebrew News, which often reports from a critical perspective regarding the Chinese regime, notes that the Ministry of Commerce in Beijing has issued a sweeping order to banks and companies in the country "not to comply with American sanctions" on entities involved in purchasing oil from Iran.

According to NTD Hebrew News, this is an unprecedented step in which China is even threatening to take legal action against Chinese entities that choose to comply with the American directives. Commentators point out that this directive places Chinese financial institutions in a complex dilemma, as cooperation with entities under sanctions could lead to counter-sanctions from Washington.

At the same time, Iran News, a channel that presents a line critical of a variety of international actors including the US and Israel, quoted the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman, Jiakun, who claims: "We do not recognize the American sanctions against purchasing oil from Iran and will not comply with them." The spokesman emphasized that China has valid commercial agreements with Iran, which reinforces Beijing's determination to continue energy procurement despite heavy American pressure.