China on Friday rejected allegations made by US President Donald Trump that an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel intercepted by US forces was a “gift from China” to Tehran, saying the claim was not supported by evidence.
According to China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun, the accusation was unfounded. He told reporters that Beijing had consistently maintained its position on the matter and urged that normal trade relations should not be undermined amid growing geopolitical tensions.
“China has made clear its position on multiple occasions,” Guo said. “As a responsible major country, China has always strictly fulfilled its international obligations.”
The comments came after Trump, in remarks on Wednesday, repeated his claim that US forces had stopped a vessel allegedly carrying unspecified materials from China to Iran, suggesting it may have been part of a broader exchange between the two countries.
Speaking to CNBC’s Squawk Box, Trump said the US military had recently intercepted a ship he described as carrying “a gift from China,” though he provided no details. “We caught a ship yesterday that had some things on it which wasn’t very nice — a gift from China, perhaps, I don’t know,” he said.
He also suggested the development was unexpected given his understanding of US-China relations. “I was a little surprised because I have a very good relationship and I thought I had an understanding with President Xi,” Trump added.
Trump further claimed that US military stockpiles had been strengthened in recent weeks as a result of such interceptions.
“So we’ve used this to restock, and they probably have done a little bit of restocking,” he said.
The exchange comes amid heightened tensions involving Iran and maritime activity in the region. Iranian officials, meanwhile, have accused the United States of unlawful interference with commercial shipping.
On April 21, Iran’s envoy to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani, urged the UN Security Council and Secretary-General António Guterres to intervene following the seizure of an Iranian commercial vessel, Touska, and its crew.
In a letter, Iravani described the incident—allegedly carried out by US forces in the Sea of Oman near Iran’s coast—as a “hostile and unlawful act,” calling for the immediate and unconditional release of the vessel, its crew, and their families.
(With inputs from ANI)