Trump Threatens to Delay China Trip, Cites Strait of Hormuz Dispute
BEIJING – U.S. President Donald Trump has raised the stakes ahead of a planned summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, suggesting he may postpone the trip if Beijing doesn’t demonstrate a willingness to help secure the Strait of Hormuz. The potential delay underscores growing tensions between the two nations over energy security and regional influence.
Trump, in an interview with the Financial Times on Sunday, indicated the March 31-April 2 summit could be in jeopardy. He expects China to take action regarding the vital waterway before his arrival in Beijing, according to the report.
The Strait of Hormuz, through which roughly 20% of the world’s daily oil supply passes, has become a focal point of concern following recent disruptions. Trump has been appealing to multiple countries, including China, to assist in maintaining open passage.
While Trump framed Beijing’s cooperation as being in its own self-interest – noting China sources approximately 90% of its oil through the strait – analysts suggest China may be less vulnerable to disruptions than the U.S. president implies.
Beijing has been actively diversifying its energy sources and building substantial strategic reserves. As of January, China held an estimated 1.2 billion barrels of onshore crude stockpiles, enough to cover three to four months of demand. Furthermore, seaborne oil imports through the strait now account for less than half of China’s total oil shipments, according to Rush Doshi, director of the China Strategy Initiative at the Council on Foreign Relations. Satellite imagery also indicates continued oil shipments from Iran to China despite recent conflict.
Some observers believe Trump’s threat is largely a negotiating tactic. Edward Fishman, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, described the remarks as a “bluff,” pointing to China’s investments in renewable energy technologies as a source of growing leverage.
“The bet that China made over a decade ago on clean energy…is clearly paying off right now,” Fishman said. “And that’s going to give China a huge amount of leverage, because they’re the ones who hold the key to all of those technologies.”
The potential summit would be the first visit to China by a U.S. president since Trump’s trip in 2017. It follows a meeting in Busan, South Korea, last October, where the two leaders agreed to a one-year truce in a trade war that had previously seen tariffs escalate sharply.
Adding to the pre-summit pressure, the U.S. has launched trade investigations into several countries alleging excess capacity and forced labor practices. China’s commerce ministry responded Monday, criticizing the investigations as “extremely unilateral, arbitrary and discriminatory” and vowing to defend its interests.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently met with Chinese counterpart He Lifeng in Paris to discuss the planned summit, though Beijing has yet to officially confirm the dates.
CNBC’s Evelyn Cheng and Penny Chen contributed to this report.