Trump makes the March visit to China conditional on solving the crisis in the Strait of Hormuz. Beijing emphasizes the strategic role of diplomacy in easing tensions.
Beijing said on Monday it was in contact with Washington ahead of US President Donald Trump’s upcoming visit, which is expected to start in March. TASR informs about it according to a Reuters report.
- Beijing is in direct contact with Washington over Trump’s upcoming visit.
- Trump is making the meeting with Xi Jinping conditional on helping to open Hormuz.
- Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz in retaliation for US-Israeli attacks.
- Tensions in the strait have sharply increased global oil prices by tens of percent.
- Trump has previously reduced tariffs in exchange for China’s moves against fentanyl and curbs.
“China and the United States are jointly maintaining contact regarding President Trump’s visit,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a press conference.
Tension in the Strait of Hormuz
The White House chief has indicated he may postpone a planned meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping if Beijing does not help reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has shut down a key waterway for transporting oil and liquefied gas from the Persian Gulf region in retaliation for US-Israeli attacks that started the wars in the Middle East.
“Diplomacy at the level of heads of state plays an irreplaceable strategic role in Sino-American relations,” the spokesperson emphasized. The “tense situation” in the strait has “disrupted the functioning of international trade routes for goods and energy”, he said.
Rising oil prices and the meeting of presidents
Since the start of the war, global oil prices have risen by 40 to 50 percent. At the same time, China is dependent on this strait in the field of energy, AFP reminds.
Washington said Trump would visit China from March 31 to April 2, although Beijing has not yet confirmed the dates. If the date is officially confirmed, it will be the first face-to-face meeting between the two presidents since the October meeting in South Korea.
Previous Agreements and Duties
At the time, Trump agreed to reduce import tariffs on Chinese goods in exchange for Beijing cracking down on the illegal fentanyl trade, resuming purchases of U.S. soybeans and suspending for one year tougher restrictions on rare earth exports that had previously threatened global supply chains.
