China has firmly dismissed a recent media report claiming that Iran is slated to receive an initial shipment of up to 400 Chinese-made shoulder-fired air defense missile systems within weeks. During a regular press briefing in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning labeled the claims as completely untrue and non-factual, emphasizing Beijing's consistent stance on promoting regional peace and de-escalating ongoing conflicts.
The initial report published by Reuters, which cited unnamed sources, alleged that Tehran had arranged to procure the MANPADS—specifically systems like the QW-12 and FN-16—to fortify its air defenses. The report claimed that the logistics plan involved flying the equipment from Urumqi in western China through Pakistan before reaching Iran.
Pakistan's military media wing, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), also issued a strong rejection of the allegations, calling any claims regarding Islamabad's involvement in facilitating or transiting air defense weaponry from China to Iran entirely baseless, concocted, and false. Both Beijing and Islamabad reiterated that these speculations run counter to their official diplomatic posture as international efforts continue to navigate high-level tensions in the Middle East.
