by JNS Staff
The U.S. president called Xi’s pledge not to send military equipment to Tehran “a big statement.”
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U.S. President Donald Trump wrapped up his visit to China on Friday, insisting that relations with Beijing are improving despite sharp differences over Iran, Taiwan and trade.
The Iran war featured prominently in Trump’s talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, with the White House saying the two leaders agreed on the need to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and prevent Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
“I am not going to be much more patient,” Trump told Fox News. “They should make a deal.”
Iran effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz after the start of the U.S.-Israeli military campaign against the Islamic Republic on Feb. 28, disrupting global energy supplies. Before the war, roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas passed through the strait.
Trump said Xi offered to help resolve the conflict and opposed efforts to militarize the strait or charge tolls for vessels passing through it.
“He’d like to see the Hormuz Strait open,” Trump said. “He said, ‘If I can be of any help whatsoever, I would like to help.’”
The president also said Xi had pledged not to send military equipment to Iran, calling it “a big statement.”
In a Truth Social post early Friday, Trump suggested that “the military decimation of Iran” is “to be continued.” He also voiced the hope that relations between Washington and Beijing would emerge “stronger and better than ever before” following his three-day visit to China.
Trump defended a comment by Xi referring to the United States as “perhaps being a declining nation,” arguing that the Chinese leader had been referring to “the tremendous damage” caused during the previous administration of Joe Biden.
“Two years ago, we were, in fact, a nation in decline. On that, I fully agree with President Xi!” Trump wrote. “But now, the United States is the hottest nation anywhere in the world, and hopefully our relationship with China will be stronger and better than ever before!
“In fact, President Xi congratulated me on so many tremendous successes in such a short period of time,” Trump said, adding that the Chinese president had been referring to “the incredible rise that the United States has displayed to the world during the 16 spectacular months of the Trump Administration.”
This included, he wrote, “the military decimation of Iran (to be continued!)—Strongest military on earth by far, economic powerhouse again.”
China is Iran’s largest oil customer and a close strategic partner, giving Beijing leverage over Tehran. U.S. officials have urged China to press Iran to end the war and restore freedom of navigation through the Gulf.
Washington is demanding that Tehran relinquish its enriched uranium stockpile and abandon further enrichment, while Iran seeks sanctions relief, reparations for war damage and recognition of its control over the Strait of Hormuz. The United States paused attacks on Iran in April but has maintained a blockade of Iranian ports after talks aimed at ending the conflict stalled.
Trump concluded his final round of talks with Xi on Friday before leaving Beijing for Washington on Air Force One. The U.S. president described the meeting as “very successful, world-renowned, and unforgettable,” while Xi called Trump’s visit “historic and landmark,” according to Chinese state media.
“It’s been an incredible visit,” Trump told Xi during their final meeting at the Zhongnanhai complex on Friday. “I think a lot of good has come of it.”
Just before the meeting, however, China’s Foreign Ministry issued what Reuters termed “a blunt statement” outlining its frustration with the war against Iran waged by the United States and Israel.
“This conflict, which should never have happened, has no reason to continue,” the statement said, adding that China was supporting efforts to reach a peace deal after a war that had severely affected energy supplies and the global economy.
Trump was expected to speak to reporters aboard Air Force One on his way home, potentially revealing additional details from his trip to China.
JNS Staff
Source: https://www.jns.org/news/world/trump-wraps-up-china-trip-says-his-patience-with-iran-is-running-out
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