As the upcoming summit between Washington and Beijing approaches, a message is starting to circulate in some Western analytical circles: could China, in exchange for American concessions, push Iran to negotiate seriously? Or even to capitulate?. The argument is interesting in its simplicity but false. It reveals a structural misunderstanding of Chinese behaviour. Beijing is not a mediator. It is an “interest manager”. China absorbs 90% of Iranian oil exports at a discounted price. This leverage is real (that’s why Beijing will not sacrifice it to help Washington). Forcing Tehran to give in to the US is working against its own strategic rival. It is reintegrating Iran into the American orbit. This action aims to eliminate a point of friction that Beijing has deliberately maintained for decades. The mistake is to confuse ability with intent. China can exert........

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