“이란 제재 반대” 반발한 중국…9월 미·중 정상회담 앞 새 뇌관 부상

China firmly opposed US economic sanctions on Iran after the US announced them. To achieve the desired effect of these sanctions, the US must pressure China into buying 80-90% of Iran's oil. However, doing so could destabilize the recent warming trend in China-US relations. The US has placed 60+ organizations and institutions on Iran's sanction list, excluding Chinese financial institutions.

While the intention appears to be to coax, not provoke China, it is uncertain if China will cooperate given the current stance. The US must pressure Chinese financial institutions, but the cost is significant. Last year, the two countries engaged in a trade war, but it was contained by a "ceasefire." However, if the US raises the level of sanctions on China, it could reignite an economic war.

The Chinese use rare earth minerals as leverage in negotiations, which is a burden for the US. The US-Iran economic war could serve as a test for the "constructive strategic stability relationship" model agreed upon by former US President Donald Trump and Chinese State Councilor Xi Jinping. The success of managing this conflict to a manageable level before the planned meeting of Trump and Chinese State Councilor Xi in the last month of next year will be crucial.