Ranking Member Shaheen Urges President Trump to Crack Down on Chinese Support for Iranian Attacks on American Facilities

WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, spoke on the Senate floor to urge President Trump to utilize the recently enacted Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act to pressure a full stop to Chinese support for the Iranian regime.

Ranking Member Shaheen highlighted multiple reported examples of Chinese support to Iran throughout the conflict and recounted the damage that has been done to American soldiers and facilities by Iran through this support.

You can watch her remarks HERE.

Key Quotes:

• “Two months ago, Iranian ballistic missiles struck the housing area at the U.S. air base in Jordan. That attack killed three American soldiers and wounded four more. U.S. officials told the Wall Street Journal—that Iran got high-resolution satellite imagery of that base from Chinese entities before the attack.” 

• “China also provides a critical economic lifeline to Iran. According to the Treasury Department, 90 percent of Iran’s oil exports go to China. That’s billions of dollars in revenue for the Iranian regime. And much of that oil is sold in defiance of U.S. sanctions, through shadow fleets, front companies and Chinese refineries. That money supports Iran’s military, its weapons programs and its terrorist proxies.” 

• “When President Trump sits across President Xi at the White House, he should use his leverage to do three things: First, to stop Chinese companies from giving Iran satellite imagery and targeting support. Second, stop Chinese networks from supplying parts for Iran’s missiles and drones. And third, stop the purchase and trade of sanctioned Iranian oil.”

The Ranking Member’s remarks, as delivered, are below:

Mr. President, one issue that I hope will be at the top of the agenda when President Trump meets with Xi Jinping on Thursday is China’s support for Iran.

Two months ago, Iranian ballistic missiles struck the housing area at the U.S. air base in Jordan. That attack killed three American soldiers and wounded four more. U.S. officials told the Wall Street Journal—that Iran got high-resolution satellite imagery of that base from Chinese entities before the attack.

Unfortunately, this wasn't a surprise, because senior Trump officials had warned for months that Chinese companies were giving Iran imagery that could be used to target American personnel.

In May, the Administration sanctioned several Chinese companies over precisely that activity. Senate Foreign Relations Committee staff recently returned from the Middle East, where they saw the damage Iran’s attacks have done to U.S. facilities.

Mr. President, it’s not only satellite imagery that Iran relies on to carry out attacks against Americans. China also provides a critical economic lifeline to Iran.

According to the Treasury Department, 90 percent of Iran’s oil exports go to China. That’s billions of dollars in revenue for the Iranian regime. And much of that oil is sold in defiance of U.S. sanctions, through shadow fleets, front companies and Chinese refineries. That money supports Iran’s military, its weapons programs and its terrorist proxies.

China is also a source of the parts and materials that Iran needs to build its weapons. The U.S. Treasury Department has repeatedly sanctioned Chinese and Hong Kong companies for supplying components for Iran’s ballistic missiles and attack drones. Those are the same types of weapons that Iran is using to attack American forces. This cannot be treated as a side issue.

When President Trump sits across President Xi at the White House, he should use his leverage to do three things: First, to stop Chinese companies from giving Iran satellite imagery and targeting support.

Second, stop Chinese networks from supplying parts for Iran’s missiles and drones.

And third, stop the purchase and trade of sanctioned Iranian oil.

If we want to bring this war to an end, we need to cut off the outside support that allows Iran to keep fighting and that starts with China. The Administration should enforce our sanctions against the Chinese entities helping Iran. And if China doesn’t stop, Congress should impose additional consequences.

I hope the President will also think about the weapon that Congress gave him when we passed the Russia sanctions bill, because it allows us to tariff the Chinese companies that are purchasing Russian oil and gas. China is the number one purchaser of Russian oil and gas, so they are the top funder of the war in Ukraine, as well as being one of the top funders of the war in Iran.

So, I hope the President will take this opportunity to use the tools that we have given him and to point out to President Xi, China needs to start behaving differently.

Thank you, Mr. President, I yield the floor.

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