Foreign Media: As Iran's largest trading partner, China has long purchased crude oil from Iran. In the face of Trump's threat this week to impose "severe economic consequences" on countries doing business with Iran, multiple Chinese scholars believe this statement more reflects the U.S.'s passive position on the Iran issue rather than a genuinely viable strategy.
Analysis points out that China has the confidence to respond: first, it controls key mineral resources and previously forced the U.S. to pause the trade war by restricting exports; second, it maintains ample crude oil reserves and has increased purchases from Russia to offset the impact of declining shipments through the Strait of Hormuz; third, much of Iran's crude oil is imported via China's "tea-pot refineries," which operate outside the constraints of the international financial system, making U.S. sanctions difficult to enforce directly.
Original Source: toutiao.com/article/1874142281589760/
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