China's Key Role In Iran Ceasefire: Stakes For US Rise Amid West Asia Impasse | GRAVITAS

Added: 2026-05-08

[00:00:00]Ahead of US President Donald Trump's visit to China from the 14th to the 15th of May, Beijing has upped the ante with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi telling his counterpart Marco Rubio that the Taiwan question is the biggest risk in the US-China ties.

[00:00:18]In their first publicly known conversation since the beginning of the West Asia war, Wang emphasized that the Taiwan question concerns China's core interests.

[00:00:28]He urged America to honor its commitments and make the right choices to open new space for US-China cooperation.

[00:00:35]As per Chinese state media, Marco Rubio termed the US-China relationship as the most important bilateral relationship in the world and stressed that both sides should respect each other and properly handle differences. They also reportedly exchanged views on the situation in West Asia.

[00:00:54]After America announced weapon sales worth 11 billion dollars to Taiwan in December last year, China, remember, had made its displeasure very clear.

[00:01:03]Subsequently, though, Trump hinted at reviewing this decision.

[00:01:08]Now, let's tell you what is at stake for the American president as he meets his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in 2 weeks' time.

[00:01:17]The answer lies in Beijing's behind-the-scenes role in the West Asia war. China's diplomatic heft cannot be understated. The US president had himself revealed that China had helped get Iran to the negotiating table to agree for an initial 2-week conditional ceasefire.

[00:01:34]As per reports, Beijing asked Iran to show flexibility and diffuse tensions.

[00:01:39]Now, as US and Iran continue to be at loggerheads over the Strait of Hormuz, China's role in the next few days may prove to be vital.

[00:01:49]Because being Iran's largest trading partner, which purchases roughly 90% of its crude oil, China has been pushing for reopening this strategic waterway.

[00:01:59]In wake of this, American officials are reportedly pinning their hopes on Beijing to put pressure on Iran to make concessions. Earlier, remember, Donald Trump had claimed that Xi agreed not to supply arms to Iran. In fact, this is not all. Trump's China visit also holds significance from the economic perspective. Remember, after the initial tariff war following Trump taking over as the president, both sides backed down in May last year.

[00:02:26]While US had agreed to lower its tariffs from 145% to 30%, China had decided to drop its retaliatory tariffs from 125% to just 10%.

[00:02:37]The situation escalated again in October 2025 when Trump threatened to levy 100% more tariffs on China citing its export restrictions on rare earths. A month later, the scenario evolved after Trump met Xi Jinping. Donald Trump announced a trade and economic deal with China.

[00:02:56]According to him, China promised to eliminate export controls on rare earth elements and other critical minerals, end its retaliation against American semiconductor manufacturers, and resume the purchase of soybeans.

[00:03:11]Meanwhile, US Secretary of Treasury Scott Bethune held trade talks with the Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng.

[00:03:17]He complained about Beijing's recent rules punishing foreign companies seeking to shift their sourcing for critical minerals away from China.

[00:03:26]On his part, the Chinese Vice Premier expressed serious concerns over the US trade measures against his country.

[00:03:34]Now, as Iran-America talks remain in limbo at the moment, the upcoming Trump and Xi meeting is likely to have an impact on not only the US-China relationship, but also on the West Asian front.