Trump signals China trip could be delayed amid Middle East tensions
White House press secretary says Trump focused on success of military operation 'Epic Fury' amid Iran conflict
WASHINGTON
US President Donald Trump "looks forward" to his upcoming visit to China, but the dates for the meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping "may change," the White House said on Monday.
"The president looks forward to visiting China. The dates may be moved. As Commander-in-Chief, it's his number one priority right now to ensure the continued success of this operation, Epic Fury," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.
She was referring to the US-Israel war with Iran, now into its third week.
China’s Foreign Ministry said earlier Monday that Washington and Beijing are in communication over the planned leaders' summit.
Trump told the UK-based daily Financial Times that he could delay the summit with Xi, originally scheduled for March 31-April 2, as he urged China to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a strategic waterway that Iran has effectively shuttered in a bid to pressure Washington to end the war.
Trump’s remarks came a day after he appealed to China, France, Japan, South Korea and the UK to join what he called a “team effort” to secure the chokepoint.
He also urged China to act before the summit in Beijing, noting that the country sources about 90% of its oil through the strait.
“We’d like to know before that,” Trump said.
US and Chinese negotiators on Sunday began their sixth round of economic and trade consultations in the French capital, Paris, as tensions in the Middle East disrupted global energy supplies.
Previous rounds of talks were held in Geneva, London, Stockholm, Madrid and Kuala Lumpur, helping reduce tariffs that had previously climbed to triple-digit levels.
Tensions in the Middle East have escalated since the United States and Israel launched a large-scale attack on Iran on Feb. 28, killing more than 1,300 people, including then-Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, more than 150 schoolgirls, and senior military officials.
Iran has retaliated with drone and missile strikes targeting Israel, Jordan, Iraq and Gulf countries hosting US military assets.
Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz since early March, pushing oil prices higher. The key shipping lane handles about 20 million barrels of oil a day, roughly 20% of the global supply.
