As AFN has noted, Iran's relationship with China has evolved in recent years from sporadic ties into an anti-Western "axis."
China serves as a critical economic partner and Iran's largest oil buyer, signing a 25-year partnership in 2021 to facilitate Chinese investment in Iran's economy. Beyond trade, China has played a role in supplying components for Iran's drone and missile programs, a trend that has seen heightened activity in recent months.
Iran also participates in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and aligns with China's Belt and Road Initiative, a massive global infrastructure development strategy launched in 2013 by President Xi Jinping to connect Asia with Africa and Europe via land and maritime networks.
But on May 4, an oil tanker linked to China came under fire from Iran near the Strait of Hormuz, prompting sharp reactions from Beijing.
No casualties were reported, but China has confirmed that Chinese nationals were aboard the vessel, identified as the Marshall Islands-flagged tanker JV Innovation, which caught fire after being hit by possible shells or a drone near the United Arab Emirates coastline.
The incident reportedly marked the first known attack on a Chinese-linked oil tanker since the Iran war began, raising fears over global energy security ahead of Xi Jinping's meeting with Donald Trump later this week.
Gordon Chang, an author and Asian policy analyst, says it will take some time to figure out what is really going on.
"At first glance, it looks like Iran and China are at odds with each other," he notes. "But it's entirely impossible that China arranged this so as to make it appear to President Trump that China was on America's side."
Even though there are other sources of oil for China, which Chang says has the world's largest strategic petroleum reserve, he believes China is worried about the supply of oil coming out of the Strait of Hormuz.
"It can weather this crisis, at least in the short term," Chang asserts. "Long term, of course, they're going to want to see the oil flowing again, and that's going to be a major topic of conversation, I'm sure, when President Trump goes to Beijing."
The Iran war will likely dominate the May 14-15 summit between Trump and Xi Jinping in Beijing. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has said the two presidents will discuss Iran ceasefire talks, energy security, weapon sales and U.S. sanctions over Iranian oil.
Last week's incident involving the Chinese vessel could increase pressure for U.S. cooperation with China on stabilizing oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
