May 15, 2026

What to expect on Iran after the Trump-Xi summit

Emanuele Rossi

"China remains inclined to preserve an 'indirect' support for Iran: oil purchases by smaller Chinese refiners, distant diplomatic cover and limited operational support. I don’t see why this support should disappear. The truly significant scenario — even if still unlikely — would be one in which Washington offered terms attractive enough to persuade Beijing to take a more concrete distance from the Islamic Republic."

On the occasion of the Xi–Trump summit, Théo Nencini, Research Fellow at the ChinaMed Project, was interviewed by Emanuele Rossi for Decode39 on the future of Beijing’s strategy of “tactical neutrality” in the Middle East.

Read the article here.

With the support of

This project is realized with the support of the Unit for Analysis, Policy Planning and Historical Documentation - Directorate General for Political Affairs and International Security of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, in accordance with Article 23 ‒ bis of the Decree of the President of the Italian Republic 18/1967.
The views expressed are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views ofthe Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

Published with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation pursuant to art. 23-bis of Presidential Decree 18/1967. The views expressed in this publication are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.

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