President Donald Trump indicated a likelihood of postponing his upcoming trip to China until the Xi Jinping-led nation and other allies counteract Iranian disruptions in the Gulf.
In an interview with the Financial Times on Sunday, Trump expressed his hope for China’s assistance in resolving the situation, highlighting the nation’s significant stake in the issue.
“China gets 90 per cent of its oil from the Straits,” said the president.
Trump cautioned that waiting until the summit would be too late and expressed his wish to see action within the next two weeks.
“We may delay,” said Trump, without specifying the potential delay duration.
US-China Talks Continue
As Trump mulls rescheduling his Beijing visit, senior officials from the world’s top two economies, led by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, held stable Sunday talks in Paris on agriculture, critical minerals, and trade, potentially setting up agreements for a meeting between the presidents later this month, reported Reuters.
Sources told Reuters that China signaled openness to buying more U.S. agricultural products, including poultry, beef, and other crops, and reaffirmed plans to purchase 25 million metric tons of American soybeans annually for the next three years.
Notably, China has signaled no willingness to delay the meeting even amid the Middle East crisis. Last week, the nation expressed its hopes for 2026 to be a “landmark year” in its relations with the U.S. China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi has stressed the importance of strong top-level communication between the two nations, despite their differences and other distractions.
China-Iran Oil Ties At Stake?
Amid Trump’s call for China’s help in the Strait of Hormuz, CNBC reported that earlier this month, Iran already sent at least 11.7 million barrels of crude to Beijing despite the disruption in the waterway.
On Monday, Fu Linghui, spokesperson at the National Bureau of Statistics of China, said the nation’s energy supply remains strong despite disruptions to oil flows through Hormuz, noting it has a solid base to handle market volatility, reported CNBC.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by a Benzinga editor
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