US President Donald Trump said Chinese President Xi Jinping had committed to withholding military equipment from Iran and expressed support for keeping the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz open, according to the BBC.
Speaking after his first full day of meetings with Xi in Beijing, Trump said the Chinese leader had indicated Beijing did not want tensions in the Gulf to disrupt oil supplies. “He said they buy a lot of their oil there, and they’d like to keep doing that. He’d like to see the Hormuz Strait open,” Trump was quoted as saying.
Trump added that Xi had offered to help facilitate efforts to keep the crucial shipping lane open amid rising regional tensions.
Trump also claimed Xi pledged not to provide military equipment to Iran. “He said he’s not gonna give military equipment. That’s a big statement,” the US president said, while adding that China continued to rely heavily on Iranian oil imports.
The remarks came during a wide-ranging discussion covering trade, energy and the conflict involving Iran.
Trump said China had agreed to buy more American energy supplies, including oil shipments from Texas, Louisiana and Alaska. He also said trade talks with Beijing had gone “better than last time” and that China would increase purchases of US agricultural products such as soybeans, reports BBC.
In another major economic announcement, Trump said Xi had committed to buying 200 Boeing aircraft, describing the order as “a lot of jobs” for the United States. Earlier, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had hinted that Beijing could soon announce a major aircraft purchase.
Trump repeatedly praised his relationship with Xi, describing the Chinese leader as “a warm person” and “all business”. “He’s no games,” Trump said, adding that Xi was focused entirely on China’s interests.
The talks in Beijing took place against the backdrop of continuing tensions between Washington and Beijing over tariffs, technology restrictions, Taiwan and the Iran conflict. Chinese state media earlier quoted Xi as describing US-China ties as the world’s “most important” bilateral relationship, while also warning against possible “conflict” over Taiwan.
