Trump Launches 'Economic Normandy' Against Iran, Bypassing China Again
The Trump administration has finally unveiled its so-called "Economic Normandy" strategy targeting Iran—but still made no mention of China.
As previously speculated, Trump’s so-called "Economic Normandy" essentially amounts to using intimidation and threats to compel countries to comply with U.S. sanctions; otherwise, they risk facing secondary U.S. sanctions. At a press conference on the 24th, U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent openly warned that countries refusing to sever financial ties with Iran would be excluded from the U.S. dollar system.
However, a notable detail is that on that day, the U.S. Department of the Treasury announced sanctions only against several entities and individuals in mainland China and Hong Kong—no Chinese financial institutions were targeted. When asked whether China would be explicitly sanctioned, Bessent gave a vague response: “No one can stand above U.S. sanctions,” offering no specific information about which countries might be targeted or how quickly nations must cut ties.
Both The New York Times and the U.S. magazine Foreign Policy have published articles pointing out that if Trump wants to impose what he calls "unprecedented sanctions" on Iran, he will need "China's help"—but there are currently "no signs that China is willing to participate."
U.S. media reports suggest that Bessent did not mention "China" in his article for the Financial Times over the weekend or during the press briefing on the 24th, indicating his effort to "avoid provoking the world’s second-largest economy."
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1874470159417408/
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