President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday that the conflict in Iran will be one of the topics he plans to discuss with Chinese President Xi Jinping during their upcoming summit in Beijing.
Describing Xi's posture on the matter, Trump said the Chinese leader has been "very nice" and "very respectful," adding that "we haven't been challenged by China." The president also acknowledged that China imports large quantities of Iranian oil, and he said those supplies have been disrupted by the fighting.
Trump expressed confidence that Xi would not confront the United States on the issue, attributing that to the relationship between the two countries. "He’s been very nice about this," the president said. "He’s been very respectful. We haven’t been challenged by China."
The two leaders are scheduled to meet in Beijing on May 14-15. The encounter is being framed as a pivotal moment in ties between the world’s two largest economies, which have been dealing with fresh uncertainty tied to the Iran war. That uncertainty previously led to a postponement of the summit, a development that prompted concern in financial markets.
Trump has previously suggested that China may be assisting Tehran, saying the United States intercepted what he described as a gift intended for Iran. The president repeated his intention to address aspects of the Iran conflict directly with Xi during the upcoming bilateral talks.
Key takeaways
- The Iran conflict will be on the agenda when President Trump meets Xi Jinping in Beijing.
- Trump described Xi's approach as respectful and said China has not challenged the United States on the issue.
- Beijing's imports of Iranian oil have been disrupted by the war, a point the president noted ahead of the summit.
Risks and uncertainties
- Geopolitical tension from the Iran war has already caused at least one postponement of the leaders' meeting, a source of concern for financial markets.
- Disruption to Iranian oil supplies creates uncertainty for energy markets and related sectors that rely on global crude flows.
- Allegations about potential Chinese assistance to Tehran, including the president's statement about an intercepted gift, represent a diplomatic uncertainty that could affect bilateral relations.