i asked claude to make a "what i bought vs. what i got" meme for this. it did terrible but it is actually kinda hilarious
Yemen's Houthi militants are trying to make advanced medium-range ballistic missiles using Chinese-delivered parts, giving them a claimed ~1,200-mile range that puts all of Saudi Arabia and Israel in reach.
Chinese companies are the biggest source of seized goods bound for the Houthis.
In other words, China is the indispensable external enabler for both the Iranian regime and its Houthi proxy. It keeps the money and tech flowing to Tehran and the components flowing to Sanaa, bolstering their abilities to disrupt global energy markets, withstand Western pressure and wage regional and global conflict.
Let's be very clear about one thing: Beijing could very well end the Iran conflict by simply stopping (or sharply curtailing) oil purchases. That single step would do more to starve the regime of revenue, constrain the IRGC and proxies, and force hard choices in Tehran than incremental Western sanctions can alone, given China’s near-monopoly on the export market.
It chooses not to, because the strategic payoffs, i.e. cheap energy, leverage over both Tehran and Washington, and a weaker, distracted West, outweigh any interest in regional / global stability.
Ultimately, China benefits from discounted sanctioned oil, from US attention and resources being tied down in the Middle East, and from the erosion of Western sanctions credibility. Moreover, it greatly benefits them if Trump's domestic political situation worsens such that the Dems sweep Congress which serves to enable more political gridlock in Washington.
So when Beijing positions itself as the “responsible” power that upholds peace and global order, don't believe it. You may not like Trump but the gray zone enablement of revisionist actors challenge your own nation and civilization. The West’s response has been too restrained on the Chinese and that's partly because of the leverage in rare earths / critical minerals they still have. It's time to seriously and properly treat oil purchases and dual-use flows as material support for designated terrorist activity and aggression against US interests, allies, and shipping.