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Mast says China 'could be doing infinitely more' to pressure Iran during Trump-Xi talks
Summary
Rep. Brian Mast urged China to use its leverage on Iran and accused Beijing of assisting Iran's military with targeting and supplies. He said China is weighing energy needs against strategic aims and that the U.S. will back Gulf partners.
Rep. Brian Mast, chair of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, told questioners that China "could be doing infinitely more" to pressure Iran and raised allegations that China has assisted Iran’s military.
"There's no question as well that they had been assisting the Iranian military with targeting against The United States Of America and also bringing supplies into, into Iran as well," Mast said, arguing Beijing is weighing its commercial energy needs against any effort to restrain Tehran.
An interviewer noted that President Trump’s trip includes economic engagements — the APEC leaders’ meeting in Shenzhen and the G20 summit scheduled to be hosted in Florida — and suggested those business ties give the president leverage. Mast responded that the U.S.-China relationship "is the most consequential relationship" of the 21st century and that continuing high-level meetings is important to press China on issues such as intellectual property and trade practices.
Mast also said China does not balance relationships of trust the way the United States does and asserted that China is "not coming to the rescue of Iran". He listed Gulf partners — the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Israel and Oman — as countries the U.S. has "your back" with respect to Gulf security. The transcript records these as Mast’s characterizations and allegations; no Chinese representative or independent corroboration appears in the exchange.
