China says will safeguard its own interests as US expands Iran sanctions

China, a key customer of Iranian oil, has advocated for a ceasefire, insisting US sanctions will not resolve the conflict.China has said that it would safeguard its interests after Washington unveiled new measures while laying out plans for the “economic asphyxiation” of Beijing’s economic partner Iran.Speaking at a regular news briefing in Beijing on Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian rejected Washington’s expanding pressure campaign, calling for an immediate end to unilateral measures.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3How US sanctions on Iran ripple through global markets and consumerslist 2 of 3The Iran war is bringing cyberwarfare into critical infrastructurelist 3 of 3Can Pakistani army chief make Iran’s military leaders restart US talks?end of list“Cooperation between China and Iran has always been conducted within the framework of international law and should not be interfered with or disrupted,” Lin said.“China has already stated many times that it firmly opposes illegal unilateral sanctions … China will take all necessary measures to firmly safeguard its own rights and interests.”The latest comments come nearly six months into the Iran" class="entity-link entity-event" data-entity-id="38678" data-entity-type="event">US-Israel war on Iran, as the United States rolls out new penalties on entities including several in China.Washington also expanded secondary sanctions threats, urging governments worldwide to join its economic campaign.Asked on Monday whether Chinese banks would be targeted by the new penalties, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said, “No one is above the reach of US sanctions.”China has advocated for a ceasefire, insisting US sanctions will not resolve the conflict.Beijing remains a key customer for Iranian oil and is directly affected by the blockage of the Strait of Hormuz.Iran has weathered sanctions for decades, using complex international financial networks to evade restrictions. Before the war, it continued to export millions of barrels of oil, mostly to China.‘We will see a lot of resistance’ from ChinaAmid the US’s latest move, some analysts say threats to sanction Chinese entities over trade with Iran are unlikely to materialise. This is due to a combination of diplomatic and legal obstacles, according to Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Washington-based Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft.