Chinese officials have asked Iranian representatives to help curb attacks on ships in the Red Sea by the Iran-backed Houthis or risk damaging trade relations with Beijing, four Iranian sources and a diplomat familiar with the matter said.
Discussions about the attacks and trade between China and Iran took place at several recent meetings in Beijing and Tehran, the Iranian sources said, declining to provide details about when they occurred or who participated.
“Basically, China says, 'If our interests are harmed in any way, it will impact our dealings with Tehran. So tell the Houthis to show restraint,” said an Iranian official briefed on the talks, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity.
The attacks, which the Houthis say are in support of Palestinians in Gaza, have increased the cost of shipping and insurance by disrupting a key trade route between Asia and Europe, widely used by ships from China.
Chinese officials, however, did not make any specific comments or threats about how Beijing's business relationship with Iran could be affected if its interests were harmed by the Houthi attacks, the four Iranian sources said.
Although China has been Iran's largest trading partner over the past decade, their trade relationship is unbalanced.
Chinese oil refiners, for example, bought more than 90% of Iran's crude oil exports last year, according to tanker tracking data from trade analytics firm Kpler, while U.S. sanctions kept many other customers at bay. away, and Chinese companies profited from deep discounts.
Iranian oil, however, represents just 10% of China's crude imports, and Beijing has a number of suppliers that could make up for shortfalls elsewhere.
The Iranian sources said Beijing had made it clear that it would be very disappointed in Tehran if any China-linked ships were hit or if the country's interests were affected in any way.
But while China was important to Iran, Tehran also had representatives in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Iraq, in addition to the Houthis in Yemen, and its regional alliances and priorities played an important role in its decision-making, he said. one of the Iranian sources.
Asked about meetings with Iran to discuss the Red Sea attacks, China's Foreign Ministry said: “China is a sincere friend to Middle Eastern countries and is committed to promoting regional security and stability and seeking common development and prosperity.”
“We strongly support Middle Eastern countries in strengthening their strategic independence and in uniting and collaborating to resolve regional security issues,” the document told Reuters.
Iran's Foreign Ministry was not immediately available for comment.
Source: CNN Brasil
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