China expert Gordon Chang tore the mask off Beijing’s role in Tehran during his January 31, 2026 appearance on Life, Liberty & Levin, warning that China isn’t a neutral broker but an active lifeline for the Islamic Republic. Chang made clear that what we’re seeing is a coordinated mix of economic support, procurement help, and propaganda amplification that keeps the ayatollahs in business and dangerous to American interests.
This isn’t idle speculation — China has been buying Iranian oil, providing diplomatic cover, and effectively underwriting the Revolutionary Guard’s revenue stream while shrugging off sanctions enforcement. Western intelligence assessments and reporting show Beijing as the primary market for Iranian crude and a willing partner in keeping Tehran solvent even as the regime brutalizes its own people.
The reality on the ground is even more alarming: investigative reporting uncovered Chinese-linked shipments of precursor chemicals that can be turned into solid-fuel rocket propellant, enough to rebuild Iran’s missile stocks after strikes damaged its infrastructure. If true, this is not mere commerce — it is the transfer of material capability that directly threatens U.S. allies and American forces across the Middle East.
Beyond raw materials, Beijing has been implicated in providing dual-use components, logistics, and intelligence support that revive Iran’s military supply chains and bolster its proxy networks. Analysts and security reports point to PRC-based suppliers, sanctioned firms, and even satellite data flows that have aided Houthi and other Iran-aligned actors, making China a strategic partner to Tehran’s regional aggression.
Don’t forget the information war: Chinese platforms and algorithms have amplified hostile narratives, and propaganda operations have softened Beijing’s image while amplifying chaos favorable to the regime. That digital smokescreen is bought and paid for by a Communist Party that sees advantage in a weaker, distracted America and a more aggressive Iran on its borders.
Americans should be furious and demand a real response from our leaders — not platitudes and press releases. We need enforcement of secondary sanctions, targeting of the shadow shipping networks and refiners that enable Tehran, and a decisive posture that tells Beijing there will be a price for arming and financing America’s enemies.
This is a moment for patriots to insist on strength: rebuild our military deterrent, secure energy independence so rogue regimes can’t blackmail global markets, and rally our allies to isolate the regime in Tehran and the authoritarians who keep it alive. If we fail to act, we are choosing to let a hostile axis of authoritarian powers rewrite the rules of the world while Americans pay the price.
