Trump Took Out Two of China’s Closest Partners, and Beijing Is Powerless to Do Anything

Chinese President Xi Jinping (right, front) shakes hands with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in Tehran, Iran, Jan 23, 2016. [Photo by Wang Ye/Xinhua]

The Trump administration’s actions over the past few weeks have eliminated two of China’s primary sources of cheap oil, Venezuela and Iran. The administration has also effectively cut off oil to China’s friend, Cuba.

The Trump administration began pressuring Panama in 2025 to reduce Chinese influence around the canal, and in early 2026 Panama’s...