WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said Monday he had asked China to delay his summit with Xi Jinping by around a month as he deals with the war in the Middle East.
Trump had been scheduled to visit Beijing from March 31 to April 2 in an effort to reset ties and extend a US-China trade truce, but the conflict with Iran has disrupted the trip.
“Because of the war, I want to be here, I have to be here, I feel. And so we’ve requested that we delay it a month or so,” Trump told reporters at the White House when asked about the planned visit.
The US leader insisted he maintained a “very good relationship” with China and was not trying to play political games by postponing the highly anticipated meeting with the rival superpower.
“There’s no tricks to it either, it’s not like ‘oh gee, I’m waiting.’ It’s very simple. We got a war going on. I think it’s important that I be here,” Trump said.
Trump had first suggested the summit might be delayed in an interview with the Financial Times on Sunday, saying the decision could depend partly on whether China would help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The strategic waterway, vital for global oil shipments, has been effectively closed by Iran in retaliation for the US and Israeli war against Tehran.
Paris talks ‘constructive’
China and the United States hailed earlier this week what they described as “constructive” discussions in Paris over the weekend, widely seen as laying the groundwork for the leaders’ summit.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng were productive and demonstrated stability in the relationship.
“The talks were constructive, and they show the stability of the relationship,” Bessent told journalists.
Also attending the meetings were US trade envoy Jamieson Greer and Chinese trade negotiator Li Chenggang.
Chinese state media described the discussions from Sunday to Monday as “candid, in-depth and constructive,” adding they would inject greater certainty and stability into bilateral trade ties and the global economy.
China’s foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said “head-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable strategic guiding role in China-US relations,” confirming that talks over Trump’s potential visit were ongoing.
‘Board of Trade’
Greer also said officials had discussed creating a “US-China Board of Trade” to help formalise trade relations and identify areas of mutual economic benefit.
The Paris talks follow a turbulent year in relations between the world’s two largest economies since Trump’s return to power.
Washington launched new trade investigations last week targeting excess industrial capacity and forced labor across approximately 60 economies, including China.
Beijing said it had lodged representations with the United States and urged Washington to correct what it called “erroneous” trade practices, while Chinese officials reiterated their opposition to what they described as unilateral probes.
Meanwhile, global oil prices have surged between 40 and 50 percent since the war began, as the closure of Hormuz and Iranian attacks on energy and shipping targets across the Gulf rattled markets.
Analysts say China’s large oil reserves may cushion the impact of rising energy prices. Still, its export-driven economy remains vulnerable to disruptions in global trade stemming from the Middle East conflict.
