China and Russia stood by Iran in March after the US demanded nuclear talks with Tehran, with senior Chinese and Russian diplomats saying dialogue should only resume based on "mutual respect."

Trump’s leadership style evinced with the Middle East, at once volatile and commanding, could be both an obstacle and an opportunity for Beijing.

Israel urged China to use its economic and political sway to rein in Iran’s military and nuclear ambitions. “China is the only one capable of influencing Iran,” Ravit Baer,