Beijing says “normal cooperation between countries” should be respected after a report said US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreed the US would work to reduce Iran’s oil exports to China.
China’s foreign ministry says “normal cooperation between countries conducted within the framework of international law is reasonable and legitimate, and should be respected and protected.”
According to the Axios report yesterday, some 80 percent of Iran’s oil exports go to China, leading the US and Israel to believe that clamping down on trade between the two countries would “significantly” increase economic pressure on Tehran.
Trump, under authority of an executive order he signed last week, could impose 25% tariffs on China for trading with Iran.
The pressure campaign will be implemented alongside the ongoing negotiations between Washington and Tehran, the report said.
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