It is heating up as China threatens USA with retaliation trade wise, tax wise over Iran sanctions Beijing ‘will take all necessary measures’ to protect its interests as US aims to cut Tehran off from

Beijing ‘will take all necessary measures’ to protect its interests as US aims to cut Tehran off from allies’

‘China’s ties with Iran “should not be interfered with or undermined”, foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian warned on Tuesday, just hours after the White House vowed to target countries that refused to cut ties with Tehran.

“China is closely monitoring relevant developments and will take all necessary measures to firmly safeguard its own rights and interests,” he told a press conference in Beijing.

Mr Lin called for dialogue and negotiation rather than “economic warfare”. He said sanctions would “escalate tensions, create spillover risks, and disrupt the global economic and financial order”.

His comments came after Scott Bessent, Mr Trump’s treasury secretary, launched “Operation Economic Outcast” on Monday, which aims to fully isolate Iran from the global economy and financial system.’

This could include using secondary sanctions to punish countries that trade with, invest in or lend to the Iranian regime.

“Our objective is to sever every economic lifeline that sustains this tyrannical regime until Tehran stands alone,” Mr Bessent said.

China is one of Iran’s major trading partners. Its network of small domestic refineries, known as “teapots”, bought about 80pc of seaborne Iranian crude oil exported last year.

Tehran and Beijing have a self-described “comprehensive strategic partnership” that included about $40bn (£29bn) of two-way trade last year.’ Mr Bessent acknowledged on Monday that China could be a target of Washington’s bid to “economically asphyxiate” Iran.

He said: “No one is above the reach of US sanctions. … If they facilitate transactions and are part of the ecosystem that turns Iranian oil into money, into repression, they will be targeted.”

Mr Trump has spent much of this year rowing back his trade war with Beijing after President Xi Jinping curbed America’s access to vital Chinese-produced rare earths and magnets.’