Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) said on Sunday that President Donald Trump is heading into this week’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping from a “weakened” position, citing the war with Iran, rising prices and pressure on global oil shipping.
Reed Says Trump Heads To Beijing Weakened
Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, told host Shannon Bream on “Fox News Sunday,” “President Trump is going into this meeting terribly weakened.” He added, “He has involved ourselves in a conflict with Iran. There’s a stalemate now. The Iranians are holding 20% of the world’s oil at risk,” referring to shipping restrictions through the Strait of Hormuz.
Trump is scheduled to visit Beijing for a summit with Xi on Thursday and Friday. The meeting will be the first state visit to China by a U.S. president since 2017, when Trump met Xi in Beijing during his first term.
Iran War Complicates Beijing Summit
The summit comes as Washington seeks a permanent end to hostilities with Iran. According to a Fox News report last week, China, which has close ties to Tehran, recently ordered companies to disregard U.S. sanctions on Iranian crude purchases.
The Treasury Department last month sanctioned Hengli Petrochemical Refinery, a Chinese independent refinery, accusing it of buying billions of dollars’ worth of Iranian oil. Reuters described the move as a major escalation in Washington’s effort to curb Tehran’s oil revenue.
Reed said China is “doing quite well because of their alternate energy investments.” China remains the world’s largest greenhouse gas emitter, but the World Economic Forum said it installed 360 gigawatts of wind and solar capacity in 2024, more than half of global additions that year.
Trade And Rare Earths Also Loom
White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said Trump is expected to arrive in Beijing on Wednesday night, May 13, with an opening ceremony and meeting set for Thursday morning. The trip is expected to conclude on Friday.
As noted by an Al Jazeera report on Sunday, Trump could also raise China’s support for Russia, trade tensions and rare earth minerals, a critical input for the U.S. tech sector. Business executives from Boeing Co. (NYSE:BA) and several agricultural companies are expected to travel with the U.S. delegation, highlighting the summit’s commercial stakes.
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