US President Donald Trump delayed his trip to Beijing because of the Iran war and sought China’s help in reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Published on 18 March 2026
US President Donald Trump has confirmed he is delaying plans to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping at the end of the month as the US-Israel war over Iran consumes much of Washington’s attention.
“We’re rescheduling the meeting,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday. “We’re working with China. They’re fine with that.”
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Trump’s comments come as the war against Iran stretches into its third week and the Strait of Hormuz is closed to almost all global shipping, saying he wants to stay in Washington.
“Because of the war, I want to be here. I have to be here,” Trump said.
Trump will visit Beijing from March 31 to April 2. The president now said he plans to visit in “about five weeks,” or by the end of April. His last state visit to China was in 2017 during his first term.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday that the US and China “remain in communication” about plans for Trump’s visit.
Trump and Xi are expected to discuss a range of issues, from trade tariffs and Chinese export controls on rare earth minerals and magnets to the US relationship with Taiwan and Chinese fentanyl exports.
The US-China trade war was paused when Xi and Trump signed an agreement following a meeting in South Korea in October, and the two sides are working on a more comprehensive trade deal to resolve their dispute.
While China and Xi were at Trump’s crosshairs at the start of his second term last year, the president’s tone has softened since a meeting with Chinese leaders in South Korea.
“I’m looking forward to seeing President Xi; he’s looking forward to seeing me, I think,” Trump said from the White House. “We have a good relationship with China. It’s different from the past.”
Trump has indicated he is seeking China’s help in reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which has been largely blocked by Tehran since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran 19 days ago.
The waterway is a critical route for global trade and Middle East oil exports, and the price of oil has fluctuated significantly due to its closure and shrinking fuel supplies.
Trump told The Financial Times that China is among a group of countries lobbying Tehran to reopen the strait.
Since China is Iran’s largest trading partner, Trump has previously accused Tehran and Beijing of belonging to an “axis of autocracy” due to their close economic ties. China has also supplied Tehran with critical technology to support electronic warfare, some of which has been on display in recent weeks.
If the strait is closed and the war continues, Trump could still find himself on the back foot when his next meeting with Xi takes place, said Ali Wynn, senior researcher on US-China relations at the International Crisis Group.
Wynn said that Operation Epic Fury, as the Trump administration’s foreign policy proponents have dubbed the US campaign on Iran, “enhances President Trump’s negotiating posture against President Xi by underscoring his willingness to take dramatic, unexpected actions.”
“However, the gambit quickly boomeranged. Faced with the worst oil supply shock in history, Trump is now advising Xi to help reopen the world’s most important waterway, the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.
