A planned meeting between President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping will be delayed by “five or six weeks,” the US leader said. His trip to China’s capital was set to occur later this month, but was called off amid ongoing hostilities with Iran.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Trump said the much-anticipated summit with Xi would be put off for more than a month, noting that “Because of the war [with Iran], I want to be here. I have to be here.”
“We’re resetting the meeting, and it looks like it’ll take place in about five weeks,” the president continued, adding that he was looking forward to seeing Xi, and that “We have a very good working relationship with China.”
The People’s Republic had little to say about the change of plans, but the Chinese Foreign Ministry noted it would “maintain communication” with Washington about Trump’s upcoming trip to Beijing.
“Head‑of‑state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable strategic guiding role in China–US relations,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told reporters on Wednesday.
Earlier this week, US officials cast doubt on the date of the meeting, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent saying, “We will see whether the visit takes place as scheduled.” However, he maintained that any delay would not be linked to the president’s demands on China to help “police the Strait of Hormuz,” the strategic Persian Gulf waterway through which one-fifth of the world’s oil supply passes each year.
Tehran has effectively closed the Strait to all shipping linked to the US and Israel thanks to the ongoing hostilities, launched by Washington and Tel Aviv in late February.
Trump was originally set to visit Beijing between March 31 and April 2, with the official meetings planned to focus on trade issues. According to Reuters, US and Chinese officials met in Paris last weekend to discuss trade, holding “candid and constructive” talks which sources described as “remarkably stable.”
Despite the productive dialogue, Beijing has condemned the latest military action against Iran, with the country’s top diplomat saying that “China opposes any military strikes launched by Israel and the US.”
“China calls for an immediate cessation of military operations to prevent the further escalation and loss of control of the conflict,” Foreign Minister Wang Yi told his Israeli counterpart during a recent call. “Force cannot truly solve problems; instead, it will bring new problems and serious long-term consequences.”
Will Porter is assistant news editor and book editor at the Libertarian Institute, and a regular contributor at Antiwar.com. Find more of his work at Consortium News and ZeroHedge.
