BEIJING: Beijing said on Monday (Mar 16) it is in talks with Washington over a visit by US President Donald Trump expected this month.
Trump has suggested Washington may delay the planned summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping if Beijing does not assist in reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran has effectively closed the waterway, critical to oil transportation, in retaliation for the US and Israeli war against Tehran.
Beijing’s foreign ministry said on Monday that Beijing and Washington “are maintaining communication regarding President Trump’s visit to China”.
“Head-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable strategic guiding role in China-US relations,” spokesman Lin Jian told a press conference.
He did not address Trump’s recent pressure on NATO allies and China to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The “tense situation” in the strait has “disrupted international trade routes for goods and energy”, Lin said when asked about Trump’s comments.
Global oil prices have surged by 40 to 50 per cent since the war began, with the waterway choked off and Iran’s attacks on energy and shipping industry targets in its Gulf neighbours.
China is a net importer of oil and one of several major Asian economies that depend on the strait for energy.
The Middle East was the source of 57 per cent of China’s direct seaborne crude imports in 2025, according to analytics firm Kpler.
Washington has said Trump will visit China from Mar 31 to Apr 2, although Beijing has yet to confirm those dates in line with its usual practice.
