President Trump Delays Xi Jinping Summit Over Iran War and Hormuz Crisis

President Donald Trump has requested a delay of his highly anticipated summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, originally scheduled for March 31-April 2.

“Trump-Xi meeting could be delayed, White House says By Trevor Hunnicutt and Nandita Bose WASHINGTON, March 16 (Reuters) - Donald Trump's highly anticipated meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping could be postponed as the U”

AL-Monitor

The delay is due to the ongoing war in Iran and the Strait of Hormuz crisis.

AL-Monitor

The meeting had been conceived as a major effort to stabilize US-China ties and extend a fragile trade truce between the world's two biggest economies.

Trump announced his decision to delay the summit during a press conference in the Oval Office.

He explained that he needed to remain in Washington to deal with the Iran conflict.

This development casts a new shadow over US-China relations at a time when both nations were seeking to mend ties through high-level diplomacy.

Trump has made specific demands to China regarding the Strait of Hormuz crisis.

He requested that Chinese warships assist in reopening the vital waterway where one-fifth of the world's oil transits daily.

AL-Monitor

The US president has threatened to postpone the Xi meeting if China refuses to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has threatened to close the strait in response to joint US-Israeli attacks.

Trump has argued that China should contribute since the country imports about 50% of its crude oil through the strait.

Trump has claimed China gets 90% of its oil from the region.

However, Trump's request has largely been rebuffed by China and other nations.

China has reacted coolly to Trump's demands, with officials expressing caution.

“As commander-in-chief, it’s his No”

Algemeiner

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian responded only by calling on 'all parties to immediately cease military operations.'

Prominent Chinese bloggers mocked Trump's suggestion as absurd.

They suggested he might as well invite Iranian warships to escort US vessels.

The Global Times questioned whether the US request was about 'sharing responsibility—or is it about sharing the risk of a war that Washington started and can't finish?'

Internationally, the EU has also rejected joining Washington's military campaign.

EU foreign affairs ministers decided against shifting the mandate of the EU naval mission Aspides in the strait of Hormuz.

The potential delay of the Trump-Xi summit threatens to undermine ongoing trade negotiations.

Trade talks had been taking place in Paris between US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng.

CNN

The talks aimed at smoothing the path for Trump's visit and reinforcing trade cooperation.

Discussions focused on maintaining stability in bilateral tariff levels.

They also involved establishing formal mechanisms like the US-China Board of Trade to manage trade relations.

However, with Washington's attention focused on the US-Israeli war on Iran, prospects for major trade breakthroughs were limited.

The Paris talks had already been shaped by the US Supreme Court's recent decision to tear down Trump's broad global tariffs.

Both the United States and China face significant economic stakes from the Hormuz crisis.

For the United States, any disruption in energy flows directly affects oil prices and American consumers.

El País

This is especially concerning with the midterm election season approaching.

China imports around 12 million barrels of oil daily.

China depends heavily on the Strait of Hormuz for its energy security.

China faces threats to its slowing economy that recently revised its 2026 growth target down to 4.5–5 percent.

The planned meeting between Trump and Xi Jinping carries considerable symbolic weight.

Both leaders have used face-to-face diplomacy to guide bilateral relations.

Any postponement could strain already fragile ties between the world's two largest economies.