Local Time, April 7, 2026 – Under the mediation of Pakistan, the United States and Iran reached a two-week ceasefire agreement. Recently, multiple media outlets including the BBC, Reuters, and The Wall Street Journal have analyzed that China is attempting to play a certain role in the ceasefire process. The Chinese side has not provided a clear response. However, experts analyze that while China is calling for peace on the surface, it is covertly supporting Iran.
On Monday, April 13, Senior Research Fellow at the Taiwan Political University’s International Relations Research Center, Song Guocheng, appeared on the New Tang Dynasty TV program “News Decoded” and expressed his views on the claim that China assisted in achieving the US-Iran ceasefire. He emphasized that actions speak louder than words. Song pointed out that China is portraying itself as a peacemaker in the US-Iran conflict while covertly supporting Iran through what is known as “night thief tactics.”
According to Song, the “night thief tactics” are first seen in the clandestine transfer of military-related supplies. He mentioned that China provides Iran with various chemical precursors essential for missile key fuels and materials, such as ammonium perchlorate and sodium perchlorate. These materials are often exported under civilian pretenses, for example, being declared as fireworks, fertilizers, or industrial bleaching agents. In March of this year, two Iranian cargo ships loaded goods in China’s Gaolan Port in Zhuhai and transported them to Iran. The port is classified as a chemical export port.
This method is also known as “ants moving house,” where under international law, it falls under the category of “dual-use” items, meaning critical components can be split and exported at civilian levels. Some components of Iran’s “Witness” drones have been found to originate from the Chinese electronic market Taobao, including sensor converters and microprocessors.
Song believes that China is blurring the line between civilian and military use through such “dual-use” items, allowing related supplies to serve both civilian and military purposes. In case of detection, these actions can be defended as “normal trade,” evading international scrutiny, particularly from the United States.
In addition to physical supplies, Song also mentioned navigation support. He explained that Iran’s previous GPS system was susceptible to US interference. After China provided authorization for the Beidou system, Iran’s missile accuracy was improved to pose a more threatening capability against US bases and carriers. This type of “information-level” support is characterized by high concealment and difficulty in detection.
Song pointed out another aspect of the “night thief tactics,” involving shadow finance and supply chains. He mentioned that in the backdrop of Iran’s sanctions, China has set up various shadow banks and settlement mechanisms to trade in RMB or cryptocurrencies, purchasing a significant amount of Iranian oil in exchange for Chinese components. These operations aim to circumvent international sanctions, adding opacity to money laundering and fund flows. Despite multiple countries, including the US, utilizing various financial control measures, it is challenging to trace movements completely.
Apart from physical assistance, Song believes that China is engaging in what he terms as “narrative warfare.” Through artificial intelligence and external propaganda systems, China is shaping unfavorable opinions towards the US, portraying it as warmongering and even labeling it as “environmental terrorists,” while questioning the cost and rationality of its military actions.
For example, a recent AI short film circulating on social media titled “The Legend of Gold Valley – The White Eagle and the Persian Cat” by CCTV is a typical example. Released on March 18, the short film depicts the US-Iran conflict in an animalistic narrative, where “Gold Valley” represents the Hormuz Strait, “Persian Stronghold” represents Iran, and the “White Eagle Alliance” represents the US.
China is depicted as helping Iran develop a similar concept of an “extracorporeal circulation system,” not to assist in a counterattack, but rather to sustain its “vital signs,” allowing Iran to withstand the war longer to dissipate and constrain the US military, trapping it in the quagmire of the Middle East conflict.
Lastly, Song bluntly states, “Throughout the entire US-Iran conflict, all of China’s actions are deceitful. It is a false gentleman and a true villain.”