President Donald Trump said Sunday he may postpone a planned state visit to China scheduled for March 31 to April 2 unless Beijing commits to helping secure passage through the Strait of Hormuz — turning a landmark diplomatic summit into leverage in the Iran war’s energy standoff.
In an interview with Financial Times, Trump said he expected China to help unblock the strait before the Beijing trip and added “we may delay” without specifying a revised timeline.
The remarks came as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Paris to map out deliverables for the summit — the first visit by a sitting US president to China since Trump’s 2017 trip.
The two leaders last met in Busan, South Korea, in October 2025, where they agreed to a one-year trade war truce.
Trump argues that countries that benefit from the strait should help keep it open. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, he said outreach to multiple nations had yielded “some positive response,” though a few said they “would rather not get involved.”
Analysts have disputed Trump’s 90% figure. Nomura put Hormuz oil at about 6.6% of China’s total energy consumption, and the Council on Foreign Relations noted seaborne imports through the strait now account for less than half of China’s total oil shipments. Beijing also holds an estimated 1.2 billion barrels in strategic reserves.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called the killing of Iran’s Supreme Leader “unacceptable” after the February 28 strikes, and Beijing has been frustrated by what it views as insufficient US preparation for the summit.
According to Bloomberg, Chinese officials worry that last-minute planning will limit the meeting to trade while leaving tariffs, fentanyl, Taiwan, and AI chip exports unresolved.
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