Washington: U.S. President Donald Trump has claimed “major progress” in talks with China, following Chinese President Xi Jinping’s high-profile visit to Washington, while tensions over Iran and the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz emerged as key points of discussion.
Trump said he had held extensive discussions with Xi on the Iran war, the future of the Strait of Hormuz and broader U.S.-China relations. He also indicated that he expects to meet the Chinese leader twice more before the end of this year.
The most explosive issue, however, was China’s relationship with Iran. U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue said Trump made it clear to Xi that any direct or indirect Chinese assistance to Iran would be “totally unacceptable.” Washington’s concerns reportedly include intelligence, military equipment and other forms of support.
Perdue said the U.S. believes there may have been indirect Chinese support for Iran, but acknowledged that Washington has no direct evidence that China helped Tehran keep the Strait of Hormuz closed. He also said China had indicated that it was not assisting Iran in the conflict.
Trump and Xi also discussed the need to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open for international shipping. The talks come amid continuing diplomatic efforts to end the U.S.-Iran conflict and restore safe maritime traffic through the critical waterway.
The latest Trump-Xi talks therefore place China’s role in the Iran crisis, the future of Hormuz and the stability of U.S.-China ties firmly at the centre of a rapidly changing global geopolitical landscape.
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