US intelligence reportedly says China plans to send new air defense systems to Iran in the coming weeks, CNN reported, citing three people familiar with the assessment. The report also says Beijing may try to disguise shipments by moving them through third countries to hide their true origin.
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Beijing is reportedly preparing to supply shoulder-mounted anti-aircraft missile systems, known as MANPADS, to Iran, CNN reported, citing unnamed sources.
At the same time, US and Iranian officials are expected to begin high-level talks in Pakistan’s Islamabad on Saturday to end the six-week war.
China was once a key arms supplier to Iran in the 1980s, but large-scale arms transfers declined in the late 1990s due to mounting international pressure. In recent years, US officials have accused Chinese companies of providing materials related to Iran’s missile development, although they have not publicly claimed that China has supplied fully assembled missile systems.
What are MANPADS?
According to the US State Department, Man-Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS) are shoulder-launched surface-to-air missiles that can be operated by one person or a small crew. They typically include a projectile sealed inside a launch tube, a launch unit known as a gripstock, and a battery.
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The firing tube protects the projectile until it is used and is discarded after firing, with basic aiming sights attached to it. A disposable battery is usually required to power the system prior to startup.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington said that…
According to a CNN report, a spokesman for the Chinese embassy in Washington said: “China has never provided weapons to any side of the conflict; the information in question is false.”
“As a responsible major country, China has consistently fulfilled its international obligations. We call on the US side to refrain from making baseless accusations, malicious connections, and engaging in sensationalism; we hope the relevant parties will do more to help ease tensions.”
“If China gets involved with Iran, it will complicate the situation.”
US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said on Friday that Washington aims to keep its relationship with China stable, but warned that any engagement by Beijing with Iran that runs counter to US interests will complicate the situation, Reuters reported.
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“The fundamental goals of our economies are so different. But there is a way we can have some economic stability. If China engages in Iran in a way that harms US interests, then of course it complicates that, and it’s China’s responsibility to remove that,” Greer said in an interview with CNBC.
Greer also said he expects President Donald Trump to have a good meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping next month. The trip comes just a year after Washington imposed sweeping and sometimes erratic global tariffs.
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China, Iran and Russia participate in annual joint naval exercises. Last year, the US Treasury Department sanctioned several Chinese organizations for allegedly providing chemical precursors to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps for its ballistic missile program. China has denied the allegations, saying it is not aware of specific cases and that it strictly enforces controls on the export of dual-use goods, according to a Reuters report.
As a responsible large country, China consistently fulfills its international obligations.
On October 18, China, along with Russia and Iran, signed a joint letter saying they believed the decision to reimpose sanctions was misguided.
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“China does not want to see a pro-Western regime in Iran,” said Citrinowicz, an Israeli specialist on Iran, according to Reuters.
Key things
- A possible Chinese supply of arms to Iran could escalate tensions in the region.
- The US is closely monitoring China’s involvement in Iran to protect its interests.
- High-level talks between US and Iranian officials may affect the dynamics of this situation.
