WASHINGTON — Donald Trump said he may delay a planned visit to China later this month as he presses Beijing to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz and ease surging oil prices linked to the war involving Iran.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Trump said China’s heavy reliance on Middle Eastern oil means it should take part in a coalition aimed at restoring tanker traffic through the strategic waterway after Iranian threats disrupted global supply.
“We’d like to know” before the trip whether China will help, Trump said, adding, “We may delay.”
The potential postponement highlights how the recent U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran have reshaped global politics and energy markets. Canceling a face-to-face meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping could also carry economic consequences as tensions between Washington and Beijing remain high following threats of steep tariffs from both sides over the past year.
A spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry, Lin Jian, said Beijing and Washington remain in communication about the visit. “Head-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable strategic guiding role in China-U.S. relations,” Lin said at a briefing.
Trump’s remarks came as Scott Bessent, the U.S. treasury secretary, met with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Paris for a new round of trade talks intended to lay the groundwork for the Beijing trip.
Earlier in the conflict, Trump said U.S. naval vessels would escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz and downplayed the threat posed by Iran. But with oil prices climbing, the administration has explored forming a broader multinational effort to secure shipping lanes.
Speaking aboard Air Force One, Trump said the United States had spoken with “about seven” nations about providing military support for the effort, though he did not name them.
China, the world’s largest importer of crude oil, could face economic pressure if disruptions persist. Beijing has already lowered its 2026 growth target to 4.5% to 5%, the country’s slowest projected expansion since 1991.
Chinese officials have instead called for de-escalation in the Middle East conflict. Lin urged all parties to halt military actions and prevent further instability that could disrupt global trade and energy markets.