Trump and Xi agree Iran should not control Strait of Hormuz
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping reached an understanding that the Strait of Hormuz must stay open as a free shipping route and that Iran should not be permitted to charge fees for its use, Qazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
The agreement was outlined in a White House summary of discussions held during Trump's visit to Beijing. Both sides addressed the ongoing conflict involving Iran, which has cast a long shadow over the summit and contributed to wider concerns about global energy supplies.
Speaking at a state dinner in the Chinese capital, Trump extended an invitation to Xi to visit the White House in September. Whether the Chinese leader has formally accepted the offer remains unclear.
Trump described his talks with Xi as positive and productive, and spoke favorably of his counterpart, referring to him as a great leader. For his part, Xi told Trump that Beijing and Washington should view one another as partners rather than competitors, and characterized the bilateral relationship as the most significant in the world. The Chinese leader said the two countries needed to make the relationship function properly.
Regarding the Middle East conflict, Trump said Xi had given assurances that China would refrain from supplying military hardware to Tehran. Trump also indicated that the Chinese side had offered to help bring the war to a close, although Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated that Washington is not requesting Beijing's involvement in resolving the conflict. The summit took place against the backdrop of rising international concern about energy markets, with the war involving Iran continuing to influence diplomatic exchanges between major powers.
On the question of Taiwan, Xi cautioned that the matter stands as the central issue in ties between the two countries and warned that any mishandling could lead to a dangerous outcome.
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that Donald Trump had landed in Beijing on Wednesday evening for a two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, accompanied by senior officials and a delegation of American business leaders.
