During his first day back in China, Donald Trump told Fox News that Chinese leader Xi Jinping offered assistance regarding the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, stating that Xi expressed a desire to “see a deal” and adding, “If I can help in any way, I would like to help”. The nature of this assistance and whether the US would accept it remained unclear.
According to Trump, during their bilateral meeting in Beijing, Xi also reportedly agreed not to supply military equipment to Iran, calling this a “very important statement”. However, the discussion covered other topics as well, noting that China continues to purchase substantial amounts of oil from Iran, a practice China hopes to sustain. Furthermore, the meeting allegedly included discussions about China potentially purchasing oil from the United States once more-a trade flow that had been suspended amid last year’s trade disputes.
Trump also recalled that prior to the visit, he had emphasized that the United States did not need China’s support in economic matters or in the ongoing conflict involving Iran.
These representations stand in contrast to statements from other US officials. On Thursday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told NBC News that the US had not requested help from China and does not require such assistance.