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CHINA PERSPECTIVE
ALLEGED IRANIAN PLOT TO ASSASSINATE DONALD TRUMP
DOMINANT ANGLE
Beijing downplays the alert over an Iranian plot targeting Donald Trump, seeing it mainly as a symptom of an already ongoing military escalation between the US and Tehran rather than an isolated incident.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
ANALYSIS
Beijing, July 11, 2026. Chinese editorial boards, via CGTN and the South China Morning Post, do not directly address the alleged Iranian plot targeting Donald Trump: instead, they frame it within the context of an already escalating military situation. CGTN reports that US forces have struck Iran for a second consecutive day, with explosions reported in Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Chabahar, Bushehr, and on Abu Musa Island; two Iranian fishermen were killed. The Chinese state media also cites the Iranian Foreign Ministry, which described the strikes on two railway bridges as "flagrant war crimes" and accused the US of violating the United Nations Charter and the memorandum of understanding signed to end the conflict. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that "the US has not yet learned that intimidation and breaking promises are no longer cost-free."
From the US perspective, Donald Trump stated in Ankara, on the sidelines of the NATO summit, that the ceasefire agreement was "over," calling Iranian leaders "sick people." The South China Morning Post also notes security concerns surrounding the new presidential plane gifted by Qatar: US secret services allegedly advised Trump to return to the previous plane, deemed better equipped against missiles. It was in this context that the US President mentioned "alleged Iranian assassination attempts," without the Chinese articles providing further details on the nature of the threat.
This Chinese perspective, cautious regarding the allegation itself, emphasizes the fragility of the diplomatic framework: Qatari and Pakistani mediation, UN calls for de-escalation, and Washington's revocation of an Iranian oil license. The consulted editorial boards do not take a stance on the reality of the plot but highlight the risk of military escalation in the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil and gas passes.
KEY POINTS
- China's capital, Beijing, is closely watching the situation as the Iranian government reports that US forces have struck Iran for a second consecutive day, with explosions in Bandar Abbas, Sirik, Chabahar, Bushehr, and Abu Musa, resulting in the deaths of two fishermen
- The Chinese government notes that during a speech in Ankara, the US President stated that the ceasefire was "over", referring to Iranian leaders as "sick people"
- According to reports, the Chinese media is covering a story that the US Secret Service advised the US President to change planes due to security concerns, at which point he mentioned "alleged Iranian assassination attempts"
COGNITIVE BIASES IDENTIFIED
Beijing's perspective is that most articles remain focused on the decisions and statements of the US government, leaving little room for a direct and detailed voice from Tehran
China's government prefers to relay official Iranian statements through CGTN without filtering, echoing China's diplomatic line of advocating for restraint and criticizing US strikes
There is limited coverage of concrete evidence of the alleged assassination plot, with information relying on secondary US sources, such as the Secret Service and US press, without independent Chinese confirmation
SOURCES (2)
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