China has pushed back against reports that it supplied or was preparing to supply weapons to Iran, calling the claims nothing more than “baseless smears” after multiple outlets cited US intelligence sources to support the allegations.
The denials came on the heels of a pointed warning from US President Donald Trump, who threatened Beijing with a sweeping new 50 percent tariff if it moved ahead with any military assistance to Tehran.
His remarks landed on the same day CNN reported that US intelligence had determined China was weeks away from delivering new air defence systems to Iran a claim sourced to three people familiar with the assessments.
The New York Times added fuel to the fire over the weekend, quoting US officials who suggested Beijing may have already dispatched a shipment of shoulder-fired missiles to the Iranian government.
China was quick to reject both reports.
In a statement issued Monday, the foreign ministry said Beijing has “always adopted a cautious and responsible attitude” toward arms exports, stressing that it operates within the bounds of its own laws and international obligations.
Spokesman Guo Jiakun went further, telling reporters: “We oppose baseless smears or malicious association.”
The dispute plays out against a complex backdrop. China is Iran’s most important economic partner, absorbing the bulk of its oil exports.
Yet the two countries share no formal military alliance, and analysts widely describe the relationship as transactional rather than strategic.
Beijing also maintains deep economic ties with Gulf states and has previously criticised Iran’s attacks on them since the war began a tension that complicates any straightforward reading of its intentions.
