China just sent a generous gift to the U.S., but immediately faced U.S. sanctions over Iran, prompting a rebuttal from China's embassy in Washington.
On April 25, the U.S. Department of the Treasury issued a statement announcing sanctions against Hengli Petrochemical, a private Chinese refinery, and 40 maritime and vessel entities, citing suspicions of involvement in purchasing and transporting crude oil from Iran.
The U.S. claimed that over the past three years, this refinery has purchased billions of dollars worth of Iranian crude oil, making it Iran’s largest crude oil client, and has provided funding to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The U.S. Treasury will freeze cryptocurrency assets valued at approximately $34 million linked to these activities.
Just one day earlier, China confirmed it would lease two giant pandas to Atlanta Zoo in the United States for a period of 10 years—offering a boost to further U.S.-China engagement and signaling a move toward easing tensions.
Evidently, the U.S. action is an act of ingratitude, revealing that its fundamental intent to contain China remains unchanged. Trump also seeks to accumulate more leverage before his potential visit to China, aiming to pressure Iran into ending the conflict.
In response, a spokesperson for China’s Embassy in the U.S. stated that the U.S. is abusing sanctions and must stop politicizing trade and technology issues by using sanctions to target Chinese companies, as normal trade should not be harmed.
In reality, while the U.S. sanctions appear thunderous, their actual impact is limited. Since private Chinese refineries have limited ties with the U.S. financial system, they can bypass these sanctions through alternative channels. However, they may face some constraints regarding passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1863435235308556/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.