China indicates presidential summit still on despite Trump's threat to postpone
US President Donald Trump may delay his visit to China to pressure Beijing over the Strait of Hormuz, while China says talks are continuing.
China on Monday confirmed it is continuing talks with Washington regarding a planned visit by US President Donald Trump this month, even as Trump suggested he might delay the summit to pressure Beijing over the Strait of Hormuz.
The US leader has tied the meeting to Beijing’s potential role in reopening the strategically vital waterway, which Iran has effectively closed in retaliation for the US-Israeli war on Tehran.
Beijing’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a press briefing on Monday that “Beijing and Washington are maintaining communication regarding President Trump’s visit to China,” emphasising that “head-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable strategic guiding role in China-US relations.”
Lin did not address Trump’s specific demands or his remarks about urging NATO allies and China to assist in restoring traffic through the strait.
The tension in the Strait of Hormuz has caused major disruptions to global shipping and energy markets.
Lin noted that the “tense situation” has affected international trade routes for goods and energy, a concern echoed by analysts worldwide as oil prices have surged by 40 to 50 percent since the conflict began.
China is particularly exposed to the crisis as a net importer of oil.
In 2025, the Middle East supplied 57 percent of China’s direct seaborne crude imports, according to analytics firm Kpler. Any prolonged blockage in the strait could threaten China’s energy security and economic stability.
‘We’d like to know’
Trump, speaking to the Financial Times on Sunday, said the US may delay his China trip if Beijing does not clarify whether it will assist in efforts to reopen the strait.
“We’d like to know” before the trip whether Beijing will help, he said, framing the issue as a test of China’s willingness to cooperate in what he called a “new coalition” to restore oil tanker traffic.
The US administration is seeking to coordinate international naval support to escort tankers through the waterway, a measure Trump initially downplayed but which has gained urgency as oil prices have soared.
Trump suggested that several nations had been approached to contribute forces, although he did not identify them, and indicated China was among the countries invited to participate.
Relations between Washington and Beijing remain delicate. The two countries recently agreed to a tariff truce after a year of mutual threats and levies.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s meeting with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Paris this week was aimed at smoothing the path for Trump’s visit and reinforcing trade cooperation amid rising geopolitical tensions.
Potential delay
Despite Trump’s warnings, Beijing has remained cautious in public statements.
A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington noted that “the Strait of Hormuz and waters nearby are an important route for international goods and energy trade,” and stressed that all parties bear responsibility for maintaining a stable energy supply.
The spokesperson also highlighted China’s strategic ties in the Middle East, saying that Beijing would continue “to strengthen communication with relevant parties, including parties to the conflict, and play a constructive role for de-escalation and restoration of peace.”
The comments stopped short of promising active participation in US-led efforts.
Trump’s potential delay of the summit underscores how deeply the US-Israeli strikes on Iran have reshaped global politics in recent weeks.
The timing of the trip, initially set for March 31 to April 2, now hinges on whether China signals its willingness to join international efforts to keep the strait open.
The stakes for the United States are high, as any disruption in energy flows directly affects oil prices and American consumers, especially with the midterm election season approaching.
For China, prolonged instability threatens a slowing economy that recently revised its 2026 growth target down to 4.5–5 percent, the slowest in decades.
In addition to strategic and economic concerns, the planned meeting between Trump and Xi Jinping carries symbolic weight. Both leaders have used face-to-face diplomacy to guide bilateral relations, and any postponement could strain already fragile ties.