U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, referring to Iran, accused China of “financing the largest state sponsor of terrorism” and said China should support U.S. efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Bessent’s outspoken criticism of China-Iran relations on Monday comes ahead of U.S. President Donald Trump’s planned visit to Beijing next week, where he is scheduled to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
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“Iran is the largest state sponsor of terrorism, and China buys 90% of Iran’s energy, so Iran is financing the largest state sponsor of terrorism,” Bessent told Fox News.
Despite the accusations, US officials called on China to join the US campaign to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which is blocked by Iran.
“The strait was closed due to an attack from Iran. We are trying to reopen it. Therefore, I would strongly encourage China to join us in supporting this international operation,” Bessent said.
President Trump announced Sunday that the United States would “guide” a ship stranded in Hormuz out of the strait and warn Iran not to interfere with the operation, dubbed “Project Freedom.”
Bessent said the United States says Iran “does not control” Hormuz. “We have absolute control over this strait,” he added.
Still, the US Treasury Secretary suggested that China should use its influence over Iran to resolve the crisis. “Let’s see them step up their diplomacy and force Iran to open the strait,” he said.
President Trump’s “maximum pressure”
Bessent also noted that China and Russia have vetoed efforts at the United Nations Security Council to condemn Iran’s blockade of Hormuz.
Earlier this month, Beijing and Russia blocked a draft UN resolution on Hormuz, saying it was unilateral and only condemned Iran without mentioning the US and Israeli attack on Iran.
Chinese Ambassador Hu Cong said the draft “fails to capture the root causes and overall picture of the conflict in a comprehensive and balanced manner.”
Since abandoning the multilateral nuclear deal with Iran during his first term in 2018, President Trump has sought to stifle the country’s energy experts through a “maximum pressure” sanctions campaign.
Under the agreement, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran would significantly scale back its nuclear program under international supervision in exchange for lifting economic sanctions on its economy.
Even after the collapse of the JCPOA, China continued to import Iranian crude oil.
Last week, after the United States imposed sanctions on Chinese companies linked to oil deals with Iran, Beijing said it would not recognize U.S.-claimed jurisdiction over financial transactions in which it was not involved.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said, “China opposes illegal unilateral sanctions that have no basis in international law.”
“We call on the United States to end its deliberate sanctions and exercise of long-term jurisdiction. China will resolutely protect the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies.”
US-China relations
The escalation in tensions over Iran follows a period of warming between China and the United States after they reached a preliminary trade agreement late last year.
The United States has long portrayed China as its biggest global competitor and has laid out plans to counter China’s growing economic, geopolitical, and military power.
Relations between the two countries have deteriorated in recent years over issues including disagreements over trade, China’s claims to the South China Sea and the status of the autonomous island of Taiwan, which China claims as its own.
However, since returning to the White House in January 2025, President Trump and his administration have said that Washington aims to shift foreign policy resources to focus on the Western Hemisphere rather than competition in the Asia-Pacific region.
Bessent said Monday that Trump and Xi could exchange ideas directly at next week’s summit.
“Our relationship is very stable and this is due to the great respect that our two leaders have for each other,” he said.
