Donald Trump confirmed that he wants to postpone by „approximately a month” the visit he was supposed to make to China at the end of March, citing the war with Iran and the need to stay in Washington to coordinate American operations.
According to Reuters, the trip was scheduled for the period of March 31 – April 2 and was to include a highly anticipated meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
"I have requested a postponement of this by approximately a month," Trump told journalists at the White House, adding that he wants to stay in the U.S. "because of the war." The White House conveyed, through spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt, that the president "looks forward to visiting China," but that at this moment his priority is the success of the American military operation against Iran.
The Iran War disrupts Trump's foreign agenda
The visit to China would have been Trump's first trip to Beijing since 2017 and the first direct dialogue with Xi at a time when the relationship between the world's two largest economies is already tense due to trade disputes and the Taiwan issue.
The American president publicly linked this visit to the dispute over the Strait of Hormuz, after calling on China, as well as other states, to contribute to securing maritime traffic in the area. Reuters and Financial Times note that Trump even suggested that the summit with Xi could be postponed if Beijing does not help unlock the strategic route.
Pressures on China amid the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz
The context is extremely sensitive for Beijing. Approximately one-fifth of the world's oil transits through the Strait of Hormuz, and China is one of the major beneficiaries of energy flows from the region.
Reuters shows that a significant portion of Iran's oil exports goes to China, while Trump has explicitly asked several states, including Beijing, to help resume safe navigation.
The Chinese government on Tuesday described as "erroneous" the circulated information suggesting that a possible postponement of President Trump's visit is related to the issue of escorting ships in the Strait of Hormuz, reports EFE.
Washington tries to temper the idea of a rupture with Beijing
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent tried to reduce political tension around the subject and said that any rescheduling is a matter of "logistics," not an attempt to force China's hand. He explained that Trump wants to stay in Washington to coordinate the war effort and that an external trip at such a moment "might not be optimal."
Meanwhile, diplomatic preparations for a potential Trump-Xi meeting have continued. Reuters notes that Bessent was in Paris for discussions with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng on trade, rare earth flows, and other sensitive issues, indicating that both sides are trying to keep the negotiation channel open despite the new geopolitical shock.