US officials have confirmed that a summit between President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, is likely to be delayed due to Washington's war on Iran.
"It's quite possible the meeting could be delayed," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News on Monday.
She said, "I don't think the meeting is in jeopardy," but said, "it's really just a matter of timing."
Trump indicated to the Financial Times on Sunday that there could be a delay as part of his attempt to pressure Beijing into helping to force a reopening of the strategic Strait of Hormuz, which Iran has effectively blocked to oil tankers.
China has close ties to Iran and is the major client for Iranian oil.
"We'd like to know before" the summit, Trump said, adding "we may delay."
Earlier on Monday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also said the March 31-April 2 summit may be shelved.
However, he sought to row back from the idea that Trump was threatening to delay a summit to pressure over the Hormuz issue.
Speaking to US broadcaster CNBC from Paris, where he held "very good" economic meetings with the Chinese, Bessent said a presidential trip abroad "may not be optimal" amid military conflict with Iran.
"We will see whether the visit takes place as scheduled. But what I do want to parse, and there's a false narrative out there, that if the meetings are delayed, it wouldn't be delayed because the president's demanded that China police the Strait of Hormuz," Bessent said.
"If the meeting for some reason is rescheduled, it would be rescheduled because of logistics," he added. "The president wants to remain in DC to coordinate the war effort, and travelling abroad at a time like this may not be optimal."
The Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil trade route, has been effectively blocked as a result of the US-Israeli war against Iran.
Sporadic attacks on ships by Iran and the threat of sea mines have been enough to drive traffic down to a trickle. The US military concedes it is currently unable to secure the narrow maritime passage, and Trump has been multiplying his calls on other countries to help secure it.
