Where does China stand in US-Iran conflict?

Trade ties and tariff relief were supposed to be the key issues on the agenda during US President Donald Trump's visit to China this week. But with the Iran war unresolved and the Strait of Hormuz still blocked, the conflict is to take precedence.

China is a major importer of Iranian oil and analysts say Mr Trump will try to push Beijing to decrease its purchases as a way of increasing pressure on Tehran.

China’s relationship with Iran is significant. But Beijing also has important economic partnerships in Gulf states, which Iran has routinely attacked since the conflict began. China has been treading carefully throughout the war, not aligning itself explicitly with any one side.

A week before Mr Trump’s visit, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi was in Beijing, when Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for an end to the hostilities. But the meeting also came after China vetoed a UN Security Council resolution in April to reopen the strait.

In this episode of Beyond the Headlines, host Nada AlTaher asks where China stands in the power struggle between Tehran and Washington, and whether Beijing could play a role in defusing the conflict. She speaks to Chuchu Zhang, deputy director at the Centre for Middle Eastern Studies at Fudan University in China.