Beijing just proved the limits of Washington’s sanctions machine. As US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent rolls out “Operation Economic Outcast,” China is doing what almost no other country in the world can: refusing to comply with US sanctions on Iran. Dr. Ken Hammond, professor of East Asian and Global History at New Mexico State University, joins Rania Khalek and Zoe Alexandra to unpack how Trump’s promised “economic D-Day” is running headfirst into a wall, as Beijing shields Chinese companies from “illegitimate” US sanctions and continues to buy up to 90% of Iran’s sanctioned crude oil exports. Hammond explains why Trump’s bullying barely registers in Beijing, pointing to years of stockpiling oil reserves, diversifying suppliers, and building BRICS-based alternatives to dollar-dominated trade. China hawks in Congress are furious that while a Chinese tanker and a Hong Kong shipping firm got hit, Chinese banks were left untouched — a decision reportedly tied to Xi Jinping’s upcoming White House visit, where Hammond says “rare earths” will be the buzzword amid ongoing US-China trade tensions. It all points to China no longer needing to bend the knee to Washington. And with reports of Chinese satellite intelligence, MANPADS, and chip technology reaching Iran’s military-industrial sector, Beijing is signaling just how far it’s willing to go to keep the US empire in check. Watch full episodes of BT Live, join breakthroughnews.org as a member today!

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