China said on Tuesday it would protect its rights and interests after US President Donald Trump announced the US would impose 25 percent tariffs on all countries that do business with Iran. TASR informs about it according to the report of the AFP agency.
- China responded to the US tariffs by saying it would protect its interests.
- Trump announced 25 percent tariffs on countries trading with Iran.
- China draws attention to the need for the security of its citizens in Iran.
- Anti-government protests are ongoing in Iran, which have claimed hundreds of lives.
- The Iranian government blames Israel and the US for organizing the riots and has blocked the internet.
“We have always believed that there are no winners in the tariff war and China will resolutely protect its legitimate rights and interests,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular news conference when asked about Trump’s latest tariff announcement.
In response to a question about recommendations for Chinese citizens traveling to Iran for tourism purposes, the spokeswoman said China was “closely monitoring the development of the situation.” At the same time, she added that Beijing will take all necessary measures to protect the security of Chinese citizens.
On Monday, Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that any country that trades with the “Islamic Republic of Iran” will pay a 25 percent tariff on any and all trade with the US. Iran’s main trading partners are according to the Trading database Economics Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq and the aforementioned China.
The announcement of the tariffs comes as Trump considers possible military action against Tehran over anti-government protests that have erupted in Iran since late 2025. The unrest in Iran erupted on December 28 after traders in Tehran staged a protest against rising prices and the fall of the local currency, the rial, which sparked similar protests in other cities. The security forces are acting harshly against the demonstrators – according to the Norwegian non-governmental organization Iran Human Rights (IHR), the protests have already claimed at least 648 victims. Their actual number of victims may be even higher.
The Iranian government calls the protesters rioters and terrorists and has accused Israel and the US of organizing the riots. Authorities there blocked the country’s internet and international calls last Thursday (January 8) as the protests escalated. According to the activists, the internet has been blocked for more than 108 hours, AFP writes on Tuesday. However, according to her, international calls have been restored in Iran in the meantime.
