US President Donald Trump announced on Monday that he intends to postpone his upcoming visit to China by roughly a month due to the ongoing conflict in Iran. The meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, originally scheduled for March 31 to April 2, follows their last face-to-face talks in October of the previous year.
Speaking at the White House, Trump explained, “We’ve requested that we delay it a month or so… It’s important that I remain available to oversee the war.” He emphasised that the proposed postponement is solely to ensure his presence in Washington to manage the Iran war, adding, “I’m looking forward to being with him. We have a very good relationship. There’s no tricks to it either. It’s very simple. We’ve got a war going on. I think it’s important that I be here.”
Chinese foreign affairs spokesman Lin Jian confirmed that Beijing and Washington are discussing the “timing and related matters” of Trump’s visit. He rejected suggestions that the delay was linked to tensions over the Strait of Hormuz, stating that media reports implying such a connection were “completely wrong.”
Earlier, Trump had indicated to the Financial Times that the visit could be postponed if China did not help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global energy shipments. However, he clarified on Monday that the postponement request is unrelated to that matter.
The Iran war has overshadowed many of Trump’s foreign policy priorities, complicating global energy markets and threatening to raise prices in the United States. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent reinforced that the delay is intended to allow Trump to focus on coordinating US involvement in the conflict, stating, “Travelling abroad at a time like this may not be optimal.”
Relations between the US and China remain tense, intensified by the Iran war. Beijing, a major importer of Iranian energy, has criticised US and Israeli military actions. In parallel, Washington announced investigations into trade practices of multiple countries, including China, following the Supreme Court’s February ruling that struck down Trump’s signature tariff policy.
Recent meetings in Paris between US and Chinese officials addressed investments, tariffs, and economic sanctions. Li Chenggang noted that some consensus was reached, but Chinese negotiators expressed “serious concern” over Washington’s planned trade probes and urged the US to maintain economic stability.