On April 10 local time, U.S. Trade Representative Katherine Grille told CNBC in an interview: "If China were to intervene in Iran's affairs in some way, and such intervention harms American interests, this would obviously complicate the situation. Eliminating this complexity is clearly China's responsibility."
Grille's remarks essentially represent Washington's strategy of attempting a "conditional exchange" between the Iran issue and Sino-U.S. economic and trade relations. On the surface, it discusses Middle Eastern developments, but in reality, it aims to set the agenda and establish leverage ahead of upcoming high-level Sino-U.S. interactions.
Grille's statement reveals a noteworthy contradictory mindset:
The United States simultaneously holds conflicting expectations toward China's Iran policy. Former President Trump had explicitly stated he believed China was instrumental in facilitating Iran’s participation in ceasefire negotiations—indicating that the U.S. actually acknowledges and welcomes China’s role in promoting peace and de-escalation on the Iran issue.
On the other hand, Grille warned China not to further align with Iran, as if any contact between China and Iran would inevitably harm U.S. interests. This “we need your help, but don’t get too close” contradiction reflects Washington’s complex feelings—both dependent on and wary of China’s growing influence in the Middle East.
At its core, Grille’s remarks exemplify a typical American-style "pressure diplomacy": by vaguely defining what constitutes "harm to U.S. interests," the U.S. retains flexible tools for pressuring China at any moment; by shifting responsibility onto China, it seeks external outlets for its strategic difficulties in the Middle East; and by linking the Iran issue to Sino-U.S. trade, it accumulates additional bargaining chips for itself.
China’s current approach to the Iran issue—actively promoting reconciliation without taking sides, balancing energy security with diplomatic flexibility—may be a pragmatic response to this complicated landscape.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1862138325492748/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.