Beijing: China on Wednesday dismissed allegations that it is providing military assistance to Iran, with a Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson threatening retaliatory measures should the United States impose tariffs based on the reports.

Spokesperson Lin Jian characterised the claims of military cooperation between Beijing and Tehran as "purely fabricated" and warned that China would defend its economic interests against any punitive American trade policies.

"Media reports accusing China of providing military support to Iran are purely fabricated," Lin stated in a social media post. "If the U.S. goes ahead with tariff hikes on China on the basis of these accusations, China will respond with countermeasures."

U.S. Warnings and Diplomatic Relations

The friction follows comments made on Monday by President Donald Trump, who addressed the conflict while receiving a food delivery at the Oval Office. The president noted that while he maintains a "very good relationship" with Chinese President Xi Jinping, he has yet to speak with him directly regarding the hostilities in the Middle East.

"He would like to see this ended also. He certainly wants it ended. Everyone, I want to see it ended too, but we can't give a nuclear weapon to a group of people that have caused nothing but havoc for 47 years," Trump said.

Responding to inquiries about U.S. intelligence suggesting Chinese involvement, Trump issued a blunt warning to Beijing. "If China does that, China will have big problems, OK?" he remarked.

Rescheduled Summit in Beijing

Despite the escalating rhetoric regarding Iran and trade, President Trump confirmed that his previously delayed state visit to China has been rescheduled for next month. In a statement posted to Truth Social, the president outlined a new timeline for high-level diplomatic engagement.

"My meeting with the Highly Respected President of China, President Xi Jinping, which was originally postponed due to our Military operation in Iran, has been rescheduled and will take place in Beijing on May 14th and 15th," the president announced.

The diplomatic itinerary includes a reciprocal invitation, as the president noted that he and First Lady Melania Trump "will also host President Xi and Madame Peng for a reciprocal visit in Washington, D.C., at a later date this year."

The announcement of the summit on May 14 and 15 suggests that both superpowers are attempting to maintain a functional bilateral relationship even as the American blockade of Iran and threats of new tariffs create significant geopolitical strain.

With inputs from ANI