China said on Tuesday that it intends to protect its interests following US President, Donald Trump’s announcement that the U.S. would target Iran’s trading partners with tariffs.
“There are no winners in a trade war,” Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said in Beijing.
She said that China would resolutely defend its legitimate rights and interest.
Trump had announced that from now on, U.S. tariffs of 25 percent would apply to all countries doing business with Iran.
Iran is an important trading partner of Beijing for oil.
The People’s Republic China does not produce enough oil for its needs and relies heavily on imports.
Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping had agreed on a pause in the tariff dispute between the world’s two largest economies during a meeting in South Korea in October.
Cui Shoujun, a Professor of International Relations at Beijing’s Renmin University, said that China would not reduce its economic cooperation with Iran due to Trump’s announcement.
He said that China and Iran had maintained trading ties for some time, adding that Iran is one of the 10 most important countries from which China imports oil.
