China’s relationship with Iran has evolved over decades from limited cooperation to a broad strategic partnership encompassing economic, diplomatic, and security dimensions, much of which runs directly counter to U.S. foreign policy and national security interests. China views Iran as a partner in balancing U.S. influence in the Middle East and seeking to erode the U.S.-led global order, and ... Five scholars assembled to offer a diversity of perspectives on the war in Iran’s impact on China and China’s response to it. China is Iran’s top trading partner and one of the regime’s most important economic lifelines. Beijing is not seeking a wider Middle East war, especially one that threatens energy flows through the... China’s response to the US–Israel war against Iran has been influenced both by the war’s economic impact and by the CCP’s ambitions in the Middle East and the Global South. China’s muted response to the war in Iran —diplomatic engagement, calls for a cease-fire, and avoidance of direct military involvement—reflects not indifference or opportunistic gain-seeking. China's behind-the-scenes role in efforts to de-escalate the Iran conflict has been gaining attention. Here is what to know about the China–Iran relationship and how it relates to the ongoing U.S.–Israel operation targeting Iran’s nuclear program. A preference for strategic flexibility has left Beijing dependent on a narrow set of “allies” whose usefulness is limited – especially in times of crisis. Introduction: Concerns for Regime Survival and International Implications: China’s Official Stances and Influencer Perspectives on the Iran Crisis In the weeks since U.S. and Israeli forces launched strikes against Iran on February 28, 2026, China has engaged in intensive diplomatic maneuvering while maintaining a calibrated public posture. Official statements emphasize immediate ceasefires ... Jonathan Czin, a fellow at the Brookings Institution’s China Center, discusses how the ties between China and Iran have been overstated, and what the conflict might mean for the future of Taiwan.