Senator Rubio presses China on Iran

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on May 13 that the United States wants China to use its ties with Iran to push Tehran to change its behavior in the Gulf, linking the appeal to shipping risks near the Strait of Hormuz. Rubio made the comments in a Fox News interview aired as President Donald Trump traveled to Beijing for a May 14-15 summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The remarks added Iran and maritime security to a summit already centered on trade and regional security. The State Department has also moved in recent days against China-based entities it says supported Iran’s military procurement network. ### What exactly did Rubio say about China and Iran? Marco Rubio said in the interview that Washington hopes to persuade China to play a more active role with Iran over events in the Gulf. Reuters reported that Rubio said China has leverage because of its relationship with Tehran and because Chinese energy imports are exposed to any disruption in Gulf shipping. (usnews.com) Fox News host Sean Hannity asked Rubio about tensions involving Iran and maritime traffic, and Rubio said Beijing should have an interest in calming the situation. Reuters’ account of the interview said Rubio framed the issue in terms of China’s dependence on oil moving through the region. (usnews.com) ### Why is the Gulf at the center of the dispute? The Strait of Hormuz is the narrow waterway connecting the Gulf to the Arabian Sea, and the Trump administration has publicly accused Iran of threatening freedom of navigation there. In a May 5 statement, the State Department said the United States had proposed a U.N. Security Council resolution aimed at defending navigation and securing the strait, accusing Iran of threatening ships, laying sea mines and attempting to charge tolls. (usnews.com) May 5 was also the date of a broader U.S. push to internationalize the issue. Rubio’s statement said Iran was threatening one of the world’s most important waterways and that Washington wanted multilateral backing for maritime security. (state.gov) ### How does China fit into the U.S. case? China is central to Rubio’s argument because Beijing is one of Iran’s most important economic partners and a major buyer of energy that transits Gulf waters, according to Reuters’ account of the interview. Rubio said that gives China both influence with Tehran and a direct stake in preventing further disruption. (state.gov) The State Department has also tied China-based firms to Iran’s military supply chain. In a May 8 statement, Rubio announced sanctions on 11 entities and three individuals in Iran, China, Belarus and the United Arab Emirates, including several China-based entities that the department said provided satellite imagery used to support Iranian military strikes against U.S. forces in the Middle East. (usnews.com) ### Was this connected to the Trump-Xi meeting in Beijing? President Donald Trump was in Beijing on May 14 for talks with Xi, and outside analysts and media reports had identified Iran and the Strait of Hormuz as part of the summit agenda. Reuters tied Rubio’s remarks to the administration’s effort to get Chinese help on Iran, while other contemporaneous reports described the summit as covering trade, regional security and maritime tensions. (state.gov) The State Department said on May 13 that Rubio was joining Trump on travel to China from May 12 to May 15. That travel schedule placed Rubio’s television remarks directly alongside the Beijing meetings rather than as a separate policy message. ### What has Washington done besides public pressure? The Trump administration has paired its public appeal to China with sanctions and diplomatic action at the United Nations. (usnews.com) Rubio’s May 8 statement said the new sanctions targeted networks involved in Iran’s arms-related procurement and included China-based entities accused of aiding Iran’s military capabilities. (state.gov) At the United Nations, the United States has sought backing for a resolution on freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. The State Department’s May 5 statement presented that move as part of a broader effort to deter threats to commercial shipping. (state.gov) ### What comes next? May 15 is the second day of the Trump-Xi meetings in Beijing, where U.S.-China discussions were expected to continue. The most immediate next markers are any joint statements from the summit and any further State Department or White House readouts on Iran, shipping security and China’s role. (state.gov 1) (state.gov 2)