On July 29 (local time), US President Donald Trump said that he would be "very disappointed" if China actually provided shoulder-fired air defense systems to Iran through Pakistan.
According to TASS news agency, the above statement was made by Mr. Trump when answering questions about information appearing in some Western media that Beijing has transferred weapons to Tehran amid escalating tensions in the Middle East.
I will be very surprised. Such things can still happen and that will disappoint me," Mr. Trump said.
The US leader said that in a meeting with General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping in Beijing in May, he received a commitment that China would not participate in providing military support to Iran.
He has made it very clear to me that China will not participate in it," Mr. Trump added.
Information about China's ability to transfer shoulder-fired air defense systems to Iran through Pakistan has not yet been confirmed by any functional agency. However, these speculations have attracted attention in the context that the conflict in the Middle East is still complicated and the risk of spreading has not been ruled out.
On Beijing's side, the Chinese Ministry of National Defense previously rejected allegations related to the supply of weapons to Tehran. At the end of April, Chinese Ministry of National Defense spokesman Zhang Xiaogang affirmed that the country did not provide air defense systems or drones to Iran, and said that the information published by some Western media was inaccurate.
China has repeatedly stated its position of promoting dialogue and diplomatic solutions to international hotspots, including the Middle East situation. Beijing also affirmed that it will always comply with international regulations related to arms exports.
Observers believe that if these allegations are verified, US-China relations may continue to face more pressure in the context that the two countries already have many disagreements on trade, technology, security and geopolitical issues.
