US-China Relations

Bessent Calls China an Unreliable Partner for Its Hoarding Oil Amid Iran War

The Treasury secretary also pointed to how China hoarded health care products during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Bessent Calls China an Unreliable Partner for Its Hoarding Oil Amid Iran War
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent testifies before the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs on Capitol Hill in Washington on Feb. 5, 2026. Madalina Kilroy/The Epoch Times
Frank Fang
Frank Fang
Reporter
|Updated:
0:00

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said China had been an “unreliable global partner” during the war in Iran, citing the communist regime’s hoarding of oil supplies and limits on certain exports.

Speaking to reporters on April 14, Bessent said he had raised the issue with Chinese officials. He declined to comment on whether it might derail U.S. President Donald Trump’s scheduled trip to China in mid-May, and he said that Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping had a good working relationship.
Frank Fang
Frank Fang
Reporter
Frank Fang is a Taiwan-based journalist. He covers news in China and Taiwan. He holds a Master's degree in materials science from National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan.
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