Trump Meets Xi in Beijing as Iran War Kills Eight in Israeli Strikes on Beirut

President Donald Trump is set to leave for Beijing to meet President Xi Jinping after weeks of trying, and failing, to persuade China to use its leverage to prod Iran to agree to U.S. terms to end the 2-month-old war, or at least reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

“Will Trump's visit to China end the Iran war”

BBC

The Washington Post reported that a confidential U.S. intelligence analysis details how China is exploiting the war in Iran to maximize its advantage over the United States across military, economic, diplomatic and other fields, citing two U.S. officials who have read the report.

BBC

In Washington’s framing, the conflict is also being treated as a test of whether political signals can prevent escalation, with the BBC describing the visit as pivotal in determining the future of the war with Iran that has been raging for more than seventy days.

The immediate stakes for the talks are tied to energy and the strait, with the BBC noting that Trump said the Strait of Hormuz would be at the heart of bilateral discussions and that the U.S. sees Beijing as the only party capable of truly influencing Tehran’s behavior.

As the summit approaches, NewsNation said Israeli strikes hit Beirut overnight, killing eight people including two children, while the Israeli Air Force said it struck more than 40 infrastructures belonging to Hezbollah in several areas of southern Lebanon.

U.S. officials set low expectations for what Trump can achieve with Xi, with PBS quoting U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on Bloomberg TV: "We don't want this to be something that derails the broader relationship or the agreements that might come out of our meeting in Beijing."

Ahmed Aboudouh of Chatham House told PBS that China sent a "subtle message of discontent to Iran" for closing the Strait of Hormuz and to the U.S. for its blockade of Iranian shipping.

CNBC

Trump, meanwhile, publicly downplayed the need for China on Iran, telling reporters, "I don't think we need any help with Iran," while NewsNation said fighting continued as Israeli strikes hit Beirut overnight.

On the question of what China will do, the BBC described Washington’s belief that any attempt to economically isolate Iran will not succeed without direct Chinese cooperation, and that Beijing can ease the impact of sanctions or weaken them.

The Washington Post’s account of a confidential intelligence analysis added another layer to the debate by saying China is exploiting the war in Iran to maximize its advantage over the United States across multiple fields.

The BBC framed the visit as a final American test of whether a political solution is possible before moving on to riskier options, noting that Washington delays escalation and that all options appear postponed pending what the talks with Beijing will yield.

“The Strait of Hormuz has now been closed for two and a half months, with the first signs of economic damage visible”

El País

In the same account, the BBC said the U.S. understands Beijing cannot bear a long closure of the strait because it would raise energy prices globally and put the Chinese economy under severe strain, especially given the current economic slowdown.

The Washington Post’s intelligence report, as relayed by two U.S. officials, suggested the war in Iran is already being used by China to gain advantage over the United States across military, economic, diplomatic and other fields.

Meanwhile, NewsNation put a near-term human cost on the conflict, saying Israeli strikes hit Beirut overnight killing eight people including two children, and that the latest Israel-Hezbollah war started March 2 when Hezbollah fired rockets into northern Israel.

Looking ahead to negotiations, PBS reported that Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stepped up their calls for China to use its influence to help reopen the strait, through which about 20% of the world's crude flowed before the war began.