Despite US sanctions on Iran's oil industry and threats to go after entities doing business with Tehran, China has increased the amount of oil it imports from Iran.

China's General Administration of Customs (GAC) says crude oil imports from Iran in July was up 8 percent over the previous month.  This increase came just as the U.S. attempted to ramp up pressure against Iran and isolate the country in the Middle East region. 

The top diplomat in Beijing Wang Yi earlier this week welcomed Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, hailing Iran as a "strategic partner" and jabbing at "unilateralism" and "power politics" coming from Washington.

"Facing this situation, China as a responsible country agrees to work with Iran and other countries to work together for multilateralism, the basic rules of international politics and uphold the rightful interests of each country," said Wang. 

The Trump administration offered waivers to some countries, but that ended on 2 May.  China has continued to buy oil from Iran despite that.  It seems to confirm the warnings from some of the top banks in the US that a protracted trade war would encourage closer cooperation between Iran and China.