US President Donald Trump warned that his patience with Iran is running out during his first visit to China since 2017, while Beijing called for a lasting ceasefire and the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking to Fox News after talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, Trump urged Tehran to reach an agreement with Washington as negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program and enriched uranium stockpile remain stalled.
“I am not going to be much more patient,” Trump said. “They should make a deal.”
The White House earlier said Trump and Xi agreed on the importance of keeping the Strait of Hormuz open after Iran effectively shut the key shipping route following US-Israeli strikes launched on February 28. The disruption affected global energy supplies and shipping traffic across the Gulf.
According to the White House, Xi opposed the militarization of the Strait and rejected any attempt to place tolls on ships passing through the waterway.
Trump also revealed that Xi showed interest in increasing Chinese purchases of US oil to reduce China’s future dependence on the Strait. He added that the Chinese leader pledged not to provide military equipment to Iran, calling it “a big statement.”
“President Xi would like to see a deal made… He’d like to see the Hormuz Strait open,” Trump said, adding that Xi offered help “if I can be of any help whatsoever.”
The White House also stated that both leaders agreed Iran should never obtain nuclear weapons, something Tehran has repeatedly denied seeking. Washington is demanding that Iran hand over its enriched uranium stockpile and stop further enrichment, while Tehran wants sanctions relief, compensation for war damage, and recognition of its control over the Strait.
Trump downplayed concerns over Iran’s hidden uranium stockpile, saying securing it was mainly important from a “public relations standpoint.”
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry, speaking through the state-run Xinhua News Agency on Friday, warned that the conflict is causing “severe losses” for Iran and other countries in the region.
The spokesperson repeated proposals previously introduced by Xi to support stability in the Middle East, along with a joint China-Pakistan initiative aimed at restoring peace in the Gulf region.
“There is no point in continuing this conflict which should not have happened in the first place,” the spokesperson said, adding that resolving the crisis quickly is in the interest of the United States, Iran, regional countries, and the wider world.
China also stressed that “the door of dialogue” should remain open, called for a solution that addresses the concerns of all sides regarding Iran’s nuclear issue, and urged Gulf shipping routes to reopen quickly to keep global supply chains stable and moving smoothly.
