The United States is “quite likely” to impose secondary sanctions on Chinese financial institutions facilitating financial flows to Iran if Beijing does not alter its conduct, former US National Security Advisor Lt Gen. HR McMaster said, amid growing concerns in Washington over China’s alleged support for Tehran during the West Asia conflict .
“I think President Trump is going to be pretty tough with Xi Jinping in private. Speaking to ANI on the reports that Chinese satellite imagery may have been used by Iran in connection with attacks on US forces in the region, McMaster said US President Donald Trump was likely to raise the issue directly with Chinese President Xi Jinping during the scheduled meeting on September 24 and could respond by imposing economic costs on Beijing. Looking ahead to Trump’s planned September 24 meeting with Xi, McMaster said further US financial measures against Chinese entities were possible if Beijing did not change course.
This is kind of his style,” McMaster said. “I think the way to be tough would be to impose costs on China , not only for sharing this intelligence, which I believe is true, but also for providing the electronics and the hardware that Vladimir Putin needs to continue his onslaught against the Ukrainian people, to underwrite Iran with purchases of 97 per cent of Iran’s oil,” he said.
The officials cited by the Journal did not identify the Chinese entities involved and did not allege that the Chinese government itself had directly ordered or participated in the transfer of imagery.
“After the September 24 visit, if there isn’t a change of behaviour on the part of the Chinese Communist Party leadership, I think you’re quite likely to see secondary sanctions on Chinese financial institutions that are facilitating the financial flows to the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the former Trump NSA said. The report said Iranian procurement of the imagery continued even after the attack.
