CHINA PERSPECTIVE

Beijing, May 13, 2026. Wang Yi chose his words carefully during his call with Pakistani counterpart Ishaq Dar on Tuesday. He did not say China wanted to end the war in Iran. He said Beijing supported Pakistani efforts and that Islamabad should 'intensify' them — for 'the opening of the Strait of Hormuz and the early restoration of regional peace'. The nuance matters: China positions itself as a facilitator and beneficiary of the conflict's resolution, not an intervener.

This positioning is all the more skillful as Xi Jinping receives Trump from a position of exceptional strength. A weakened but unbowed Iran has reduced American leverage in the region. Brent at $104 — up 3% after Iran's rejection of the American proposal — gives China, which imports 40% of its oil from the Middle East, an obvious interest in Hormuz reopening. But not at the price of an Iran domesticated by Washington: an Iran under American control would be a major strategic loss for Beijing.

Xi's strategy is therefore subtle: use Iran as a pressure card in negotiations with Trump on Taiwan and tariffs, without pushing Tehran out of China's orbit. This calculated ambiguity irritates Washington — one analyst cited by the National Post notes that 'Xi is coming into the summit feeling confident he has solved Trump', while it is Trump who needs this summit more than his host.

Satellite surveillance startup MizarVision, sanctioned by the US Treasury for publishing open-source images of American bomber movements during Operation Epic Fury, gave China another symbolic moment: the company responded to sanctions by posting a recruitment advertisement on social media prominently featuring the official US Treasury sanctions notice. This defiant gesture, presented in China as a people's victory against American arrogance, illustrates the national pride surrounding sovereign technological surveillance.

Commercially, a German Chamber of Commerce survey in China shows 37% of European companies present expect China's economy to improve in the next six months — up 22 points from last year. China is navigating the Iran war by playing the role of relative stability haven in a disrupted world. If the Beijing summit produces a diplomatic roadmap for Iran-US — even a partial one — it will be Xi who claims the international credit.