With the killing of Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the U.S. may have severed an energy lifeline that Xi Jinping could have relied on after the next several moves on the geopolitical chessboard. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Getty Images and Reuters)
China up close
Economic and political woes at home limit China’s criticism of the US
KATSUJI NAKAZAWA
March 5, 2026 04:00 JST
