Donald Trump’s upcoming trip to Beijing might face postponement due to the ongoing US-Iran conflict.
In an interview with the Financial Times, Trump revealed that he “may delay” his three-day visit to China, originally set for March 31 to April 2.
During the same discussion, Trump urged China and other countries to assist in safeguarding oil tankers navigating the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial passageway for about 20 percent of the world’s oil supply.
Trump has been seeking support from other nations to help monitor the Strait in a bid to curb the surge in crude oil prices.
“Hopefully, China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others impacted by this artificial constraint will send ships to the area, so the Strait of Hormuz no longer poses a threat by a nation that has been completely neutralized,” Trump shared on social media on Saturday.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian sidestepped questions about deploying Chinese ships to the Strait in a briefing on Monday and did not provide further details on Trump’s forthcoming visit to China.
And now Trump’s advisors are claiming that the President’s journey to Beijing could be temporarily put on hold.
‘I know President Xi was very excited to welcome President Trump to Beijing, and I know President Trump looks forward to this trip. It’s really just a matter of the timing,’ White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday morning.
President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Beijing, China, from March 31 to April 2 to meet with Chinese President Xi JInping for the second time in six months. Now, Trump is saying he may have to postpone the summit due to the US-Iran war. Above the two leaders are shown at a summit in South Korea in October 2025
Trump has called on China and other countries to help defend the Strait of Hormuz from Iranian interference as oil tankers pile up and global oil prices are spiking
Roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil supply transits through the narrow Strait of Hormuz right off of Iran’s coast. It is just 24-miles wide at its narrowest point
‘It is a leader-to-leader conversation at this point,’ Leavitt continued. ‘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.’
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also had a similar talking point while appearing on CNBC Monday morning.
‘If the meeting, for some reason, is rescheduled, it would be rescheduled because of logistics,’ he said.
‘The President wants to remain in DC to coordinate the war effort, and that traveling abroad at a time like this may not be optimal.’
There is concern among the administration about sending the military to escort tankers through the narrow, 24-mile waterway, as US Naval ships could be within range of Iranian drones and missiles.
The President and several members of his Cabinet have signaled that the US Navy will escort oil tankers through the Strait ‘soon,’ though they have not given specifics on when that will happen.
Energy Secretary Chris Wright said last week that it would likely happen in March, but the President has not gone as far.
Brent crude oil, the global oil benchmark, has risen over 40 percent since the US and Israel struck Iran on February 28, killing its leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
The Trump administration has told voters that the increase in gas prices will be temporary, and that it is a worthwhile sacrifice for Americans because of the historic opportunity to cripple the Islamic Republic
Kharg Island contains deepwater ports for oil tankers and huge oil storage facilities
Smoke rises from the direction of an energy installation in the Gulf emirate of Fujairah on March 14, 2026. Smoke could be seen rising from the direction of a major UAE energy installation on March 14, in what appeared to be the latest strike targeting the Gulf’s petroleum facilities, hours after the US struck Iran’s Kharg Island
The average gas price for a gallon of regular is $3.72, according to AAA. The average a month ago was $2.93 per gallon.
The President has said the increase in prices is a ‘very small price to pay for USA safety and peace.’
On Friday, Trump bragged about a massive strike on Iran’s Kharg Island, a small outpost of its coast that facilitates a majority of the nation’s oil exports.
‘Moments ago, at my direction, the United States Central Command executed one of the most powerful bombing raids in the History of the Middle East, and totally obliterated every MILITARY target in Iran’s crown jewel, Kharg Island,’ he wrote.
He added that he did not go after the island’s oil infrastructure ‘for reasons of decency’, but said it’s not out of the question if Iran makes a wrong move.
‘However, should Iran, or anyone else, do anything to interfere with the Free and Safe Passage of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz, I will immediately reconsider this decision,’ he said.
The Iranian military responded that oil and energy infrastructure owned by US-linked firms would ‘immediately be destroyed and turned into a pile of ashes’ if the United States struck its oil facilities, according to Iranian media.
On Saturday, it was reported that oil facilities in the United Arab Emirates were hit by Iranian strikes in retaliation for the Kharg offensive.
