China rejects US sanctions on Iran, calling them illegal, unilateral

After the US threatened countries continuing economic ties with Iran with sweeping secondary sanctions under "Operation Economic Outcast", China hit back on Tuesday and said that it would safeguard its interests. In a news briefing, China's foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian on Tuesday said that it "firmly opposes illegal unilateral sanctions" and that it will take all measures to safeguard its own rights and interests. He said that the cooperation between China and Iran "should not be interfered with or disrupted". The Chinese official urged the US and Iran to agree to a ceasefire and insisted that US sanctions will not resolve the conflict.He warned that the new US sanctions risk disrupting the global financial order, stressing the need for the warring sides to hold talks to end the conflict.

US threatened to impose secondary sanctions on China on Iran matters.

Here's the official China MoFA's response.

"Do what is necessary to protect China’s rights & interested"
pic.twitter.com/TUd1Ad2VSw

— Teo (@Teo_Sinamin) August 25, 2026

Announced by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, this "economic D-day" aims to completely isolate Tehran by severing its access to the US dollar system. While the US declined to officially name specific nations, the trading partners that are most at risk of US retaliation are China, the UAE, Turkey, Iraq, the European Union, India, Pakistan, and the Russian Federation.
China is Iran's largest trading partner, accounting for nearly one-third of the country's non-oil foreign trade. It is also the biggest buyer, accounting for nearly 90 per cent of its oil exports, according to US government data. 
Beijing reported $9.96 billion in bilateral trade with Tehran in 2025. This number, according to the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, excluded roughly $31.2 billion in unreported Iranian crude oil exports to China that year.