US Ambassador to Beijing: Trump told his Chinese counterpart that any aid to Iran is "unacceptable"

Washington, Sept 26 (KUNA) — U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue said that President Donald Trump informed his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, during their talks in Washington that any assistance China provides to Iran is “unacceptable.” Perdue told CNBC on Friday, “We made it very clear to them weeks ago that any assistance they provide to Iran—whether direct or indirect, whether in the form of intelligence, spare parts, or military equipment—is absolutely unacceptable. President Trump reiterated this very clearly again yesterday (Thursday). This is an issue we continue to emphasize consistently.” He added, “The two leaders have begun building a relationship characterized by a degree of trust and joint work to address outstanding issues. It was a very candid and transparent conversation, and I believe that each time they speak, we see a different level of convergence and understanding regarding these complex issues we are dealing with.” When asked in a separate interview on Fox News whether this meant China would stop assisting Iran, Perdue said Washington had received assurances from Beijing on the matter. He said, “We have seen actual movement on this issue; that is the essence of the commitment in place. They confirmed to us yesterday (Thursday) that they are not doing it.” He reiterated, “It is true that we are aware of past instances where intelligence or potential components—whether directly or indirectly—reached certain destinations, but President Trump again made clear that any engagement with Iran regarding support for this war is unacceptable to us.” Earlier in the day, the U.S. president said he had discussed the issue with his Chinese counterpart but provided no further details on the matter. When asked by reporters about it while accompanying President Xi on a tour of the National Archives in Washington before concluding his state visit to the U.S. capital, Trump said, “Yes, we did.” Asked whether he expected progress on the Strait of Hormuz, Trump replied, “I think we will achieve excellent results.” (End) Ras R / M M J