PNN – The US President announced that he has postponed his official visit to China, which was scheduled to take place in late March, by about a month in order to follow developments in the war with Iran in Washington.
According to the report of Pakistan News Network, citing RT, Donald Trump said on Monday in a conversation with reporters in the Oval Office of the White House: I want to be here because of the war in the Middle East. He added: We asked China to postpone this trip for about a month.
Trump also emphasized that relations between Washington and Beijing are “very good.”
Preparations for the trip, which was scheduled to take place from March 31 to April 2, began several months ago and was scheduled to include a meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, a meeting that observers said could pave the way for easing trade war tensions between the world’s two largest economies.
However, the war against Iran, now in its 18th day, has cast a shadow over the White House agenda and has also affected the course of relations between Washington and Beijing.
The US president has also asked his country’s allies, as well as China, to help secure shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a strait where Washington says Iran has almost completely disrupted shipping.
More than half of China’s seaborne crude imports come from the Middle East, often passing through the Strait of Hormuz. Also, before the war, more than 80 percent of Iran’s oil exports went to China.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Besant also raised the possibility of postponing the trip in an interview with CNBC on Monday, saying that this was for “logistical” reasons and was not done with the aim of putting pressure on Beijing.
On the other hand, Lin Jian, spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, announced: China and the United States are still in contact and consultation regarding President Trump’s visit.
He did not comment on the possibility of Chinese assistance in fully opening the Strait of Hormuz, but once again called on “all parties” to immediately halt military operations in the region.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman emphasized that Beijing, as a “friend and strategic partner of Middle Eastern countries,” will continue to work with various parties, including the conflicting parties, to help reduce tensions and restore peace.
Trump’s trip to China was previously seen as a key opportunity to ease tensions that have clouded relations since his return to the White House in 2025. Last year, there were also sharp disagreements over tariffs and trade restrictions, although a truce was announced in October after Trump and Xi Jinping met in South Korea.
Meanwhile, top U.S. and Chinese economic officials met in Paris last weekend, with China’s top trade negotiator Li Chenggang describing the talks as “deep and frank.” The U.S. Treasury Secretary said the talks were “constructive” and showed stability in the relationship.
The meetings came a few days after China’s Ministry of Commerce protested against US trade investigations into “combating forced labor,” which Beijing has called “unilateral, arbitrary and highly discriminatory” measures and an example of protectionist policies that could lead to new tariffs.