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China

March 18, 2026

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Lin Jian

China to send aid to Iran, Lebanon, Iraq, Jordan as Trump delays Beijing summit

The aid announcement comes as President Donald Trump said Tuesday that his late March visit to China would be postponed.

Close-up of an LPG dispenser nozzle filling a car's fuel tank. This illustrates the use of alternative fuel sources for automobiles. LPG is a cleaner-burning fuel compared to gasoline.

Asia liquefied petroleum gas prices spike after damage to Saudi facility

Swaps for LPG delivered to East Asia next month soared to more than $600 per ton, their highest since April 1, 2025, after Saudi state energy firm Aramco said it would be canceling some deliveries.

Latest News

Russia, China, Iran to hold joint naval drills in Strait of Hormuz: What to know

A missile launches from IRIS Sabalan, an Alvand-class frigate of the Iranian Navy, during the Velayat 91 drill in the Gulf of Oman on January 1, 2013. The Velayat 91 drill is a sixday Iranian naval exercise held in late December 2012 and early January 2013 across the Strait of Hormuz, the Sea of Oman, and the northern Indian Ocean to test naval readiness and secure strategic waterways. (Photo by Mohammadali Najib / Middle East Images / AFP via Getty Images)

Iran dispatches senior official to China amid talks push with US

(L-R) Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov, Chinese Executive Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Ma Zhaoxu, and Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi hold a press conference after their meeting in Beijing on March 14, 2025.

Jack Dutton

Chief Business Correspondent

In Bristol, reporting on regional business, climate change, AI, tech

Benjamin Houghton

In Durham, reporting on China in the Middle East

Yun Sun

In Washington, DC, reporting on China-Middle East ties

Dale Aluf

In Amsterdam, reporting on China in the Middle East

Emil Avdaliani

Andrea Ghiselli

In Shanghai, reporting on China in the Middle East

China's President Xi Jinping (L) shakes hands with Egypt's President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi

Egypt, China ink $1.65B deal for steel factories in Suez: What we know

The deal was signed by Egypt’s General Authority of the Suez Canal Economic Zone and the Industrial Development Authority with Xin Feng Egypt Steel and its parent company, Xin Feng China as Cairo-Beijing ties grow closer.

The Iranian-flagged oil tanker Fortune is docked at the El Palito refinery after its arrival to Puerto Cabello in the northern state of Carabobo, Venezuela, on May 25, 2020.

US slaps sanctions on Iran's oil tankers, targets China 'teapot' refinery

Targets of the sanctions include a refinery allegedly purchasing Iranian oil from a vessel linked to Yemen's Houthi militant group.

In this handout image provided by the UK Ministry of Defence, a Royal Air Force Typhoon FRG4s is being prepared to conduct further strikes against Houthi military targets in Yemen at RAF Akrotiri on Feb. 3, 2024 in Akrotiri, Cyprus.

US strikes on Yemen's Houthis, China stimulus drive surge in oil prices

Brent crude was up 1.3% to $71.53 a barrel on Monday morning compared to close on Sunday.

A picture shows a military drone on display at an exhibition held by Yemen's Huthi group in the capital Sanaa on Nov. 19, 2024.

Houthis using Chinese-made hydrogen fuel cells to build stealthier drones: Report

A new report reveals that the Houthis are incorporating Chinese-made hydrogen fuel cells into their drones, potentially improving their range and reducing detection by air defenses.

TOPSHOT - Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi speaks to the press, in front of the portrait of slain Lebanese Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, after meeting with Syrian officials at the Iranian embassy in Damascus on October 5, 2024. (Photo by LOUAI BESHARA / AFP) (Photo by LOUAI BESHARA/AFP via Getty Images)

As Iran set to receive Trump's letter, China to host talks on nuclear program

China will host a trilateral meeting with Russia and Iran in Beijing Friday to discuss Iran's nuclear program, amid renewed US efforts to renegotiate a new deal.

This handout photo, made available by the Iranian Army office on March 11, 2025, shows the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy guided-missile destroyer Baotou during joint military drills between Iran, Russia and China in the Gulf of Oman.

Analysis

Iran flaunts joint Russia-China naval exercise as defiance of Trump, new order: What to know

Iran appears to be using the drills as a powerful signal that amid shifting dynamics under the new US administration, it will not be alone in defending its strategic interests.

A correspondent in Tehran

By A correspondent in Tehran

In Tehran, reporting on politics

Iranian soldiers take part in the National Persian Gulf Day in the Strait of Hormuz, on April 30, 2019.

Iran, China, Russia hold joint naval drill despite Trump threats: What we know

The drill took place as the United States and Iran remain at odds over the latter’s nuclear program.

AFP via Getty Images

Analysis

Why Iran oil sanctions on China may not prove as effective as Trump hopes

Washington has sanctioned entities in China and the United Arab Emirates involved in the trade of oil and drone components with Tehran.

Sabena Siddiqui

By Sabena Siddiqui

In Karachi, reporting on South Asia, Middle East, Iran

Mandarin's entry into public schools is the latest sign of growing ties between Saudi Arabia and China

Chinese lessons in Saudi schools show growing ties

Agence France-Presse

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian (R) and Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force, look on as Iran's new Shahed 136-B drone is displayed during the annual military parade marking the anniversary of the outbreak of the 1980–88 war with Iraq, Tehran, Sept. 21, 2024.

US sanctions 6 China firms for helping Iran procure drones: What to know

The latest decision follows the United States sanctioning more than 30 entities involved in Iran's shadow fleet.

An oil tanker unloads imported crude oil at Qingdao port in China's eastern Shandong province on May 9, 2022. - China OUT (Photo by AFP) / China OUT (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)

US sanctions on Iran’s 'shadow' oil fleet target brokers in UAE, China

The latest sanctions come after President Donald Trump pledged his administration would drive Iran's oil sales down to zero.

BEIJING, CHINA - NOVEMBER 9: Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump attend a welcoming ceremony November 9, 2017 in Beijing, China. Trump is on a 10-day trip to Asia. (Photo by Thomas Peter-Pool/Getty Images)

Analysis

Why Iran's oil exports to China are surging despite Trump's 'maximum pressure'

Data from shipping analytics firm Kpler suggests Iran is offloading more crude from its floating storage off the coast of Malaysia and Singapore.

Jennifer Gnana

By Jennifer Gnana

In Dubai, reporting on Gulf energy policy and politics