Why China’s citizens are rooting for Iran in the US-Israel war
The Take
Al Jazeera
4.7 • 747 Ratings
🗓️ 12 March 2026
⏱️ 21 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
China is more affected than any country outside the Gulf by the US-Israel war due to its energy reliance on Iran. But as the war reshapes global trade and alliances, it also stands to benefit. As Donald Trump prepares for a rare visit to Beijing, could this crisis reshape the balance of power?
In this episode:
- Katrina Yu (@Katmyu), Al Jazeera Correspondent
Episode credits:
This episode was produced by David Enders, Sarí el-Khalili and Chloe K. Li, with Spencer Cline, Tuleen Barakat and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Alexandra Locke.
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Al Jazeera Podcasts. |
| 0:07.0 | Today, what does the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran look like from China? |
| 0:17.0 | With missiles and drones flying in all directions in the Gulf, |
| 0:21.6 | many fear the fragile truce between Beijing and Washington will crack. |
| 0:26.9 | What Donald Trump expected to visit China in the coming weeks, |
| 0:30.7 | how will this war affect an increasingly fraught U.S.-China relationship? |
| 0:37.8 | I'm Malika Villal, and this is the take. |
| 0:48.0 | Hey, everyone, as you're watching today's episode on The View from China, let us know the impact |
| 0:53.2 | this war is having on the |
| 0:54.6 | place where you live. Leave your comment below and join the discussion. If you're listening to |
| 0:59.6 | this on a podcast app, rate and review us. Five stars makes it easier for other people to find |
| 1:05.3 | the show. Thanks. |
| 1:09.0 | Hi, I'm Katrina Yu. I am the Al Jazeera English correspondent based here in Beijing. |
| 1:15.0 | Katrina, it is really nice to have you back on the take. The U.S. and Israeli war in Iran has now been going on for nearly two full weeks. |
| 1:24.4 | You are based in Beijing, China, as you said, which is a key ally of Iran and before the war, |
| 1:31.3 | the biggest buyer of its oil. So what does the war look like from your vantage point? |
| 1:37.4 | Well, China's been one of the loudest critics of the U.S. and Israel and its war on Iran. |
| 1:43.5 | China has condemned the assassination of Iran's leaders. |
| 1:47.0 | It said that it's unacceptable that these attacks were launched when there were negotiations |
| 1:52.3 | underway. We've had pretty strong words coming out of Chinese government officials. |
| 1:57.2 | They said that the Middle East is being pushed to the brink of a dangerous abyss, |
| 2:03.3 | which for Chinese officials, that's a pretty strong language. And they've called for an immediate |
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