Trump added that Xi assured him that China would not provide military equipment to Iran. “He said he’s not going to give military equipment,” Trump told Fox News. “That’s a big statement.” The assurance, however, stopped short of addressing broader questions about Chinese support for Iran, including intelligence sharing, electronics exports, or the enormous revenues Iran derives from oil sales to Chinese buyers.
China occupies a uniquely important position in the Iran conflict because it is the largest buyer of Iranian oil, providing Iran with a critical economic lifeline despite American sanctions. Trump Administration officials have hoped Xi would use that leverage to pressure Iran toward a nuclear agreement on terms the U.S. would accept.
But the Chinese leader’s offer appeared carefully calibrated. Trump said Xi also told him that China intended to continue buying oil from Iran, even as Beijing opposed any effort by Iran to militarize or effectively toll the Strait of Hormuz. “He said, you know, they buy a lot of their oil there and they’d like to keep doing that,” Trump said.