China on Monday rejected what it described as “groundless” reports that Chinese entities supplied Tehran with satellite images of a military base housing US troops in Jordan before and after an Iranian strike that killed three American soldiers.
The reports, published by the Wall Street Journal over the weekend, concerned missile strikes launched by Iran on July 17 against the Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan.
The Journal, citing unnamed American officials, did not identify the Chinese entities allegedly involved and did not suggest that Beijing was directly responsible for the transfer of the satellite imagery.
“We firmly oppose groundless suspicion and accusations without evidence,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a regular news conference on Monday.
The Journal reported late Friday that Chinese officials asked US officials to provide evidence of the alleged transfer of satellite imagery, but refused to acknowledge that Chinese companies had provided Tehran with images of the military base.
The report comes amid heightened tensions between Washington and Beijing, ahead of a planned visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House on September 24.
US President Donald Trump sought to play down the report, saying China and the United States both engage in intelligence gathering.
“When they say that China spies on us, I say you’re right, and we spy on them too,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Sunday.
“That’s what we do. They basically do what we do,” he added.
Trump has previously warned Beijing against selling weapons to Iran. In May, Washington also imposed sanctions on three China-based satellite companies accused of enabling Iran’s military operations.
China remains a major economic partner of Iran, purchasing much of the country’s oil output while also providing important diplomatic support.
Despite the latest allegations, Trump said Xi had “behaved reasonably well” and that both countries were conducting themselves reasonably.
Asked whether he would ever allow Chinese-made cars to be sold in the United States, Trump said he had kept them out, arguing that US tariffs had prevented their entry into the American market.
