China and the US remain in contact regarding President Donald Trump's visit to Beijing, a spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday. Beijing noted Washington's clarification that the postponement of the trip was not related to the issue of freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, but to the war in Iran.
Donald Trump wants to postpone his visit to China
The US president announced on Monday that he is seeking to postpone the visit planned for late March or early April by about a month. The host of the White House justified this by the ongoing war with Iran and the need for his presence in Washington. This version was confirmed in Paris by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent after talks with Chinese Vice Prime Minister He Lifeng.
Why was Donald Trump's visit to China postponed?
When was Trump's visit to China supposed to take place?
What does Beijing think about the reasons for postponing the visit?
What were Trump's previous suggestions for the visit?
However, Trump had previously suggested that the trip could be delayed if Beijing did not provide help to protect ships in the Strait of Hormuz. This key route for oil trade was actually blocked by Iran in response to the US-Israeli attacks on this country that began on February 28, which led to a sharp increase in oil prices on world markets.
When asked whether Washington had contacted Beijing regarding the participation of Chinese units in transport protection in this part of the world, the spokesman only pointed out that he had already responded to this issue on Monday. That day, however, Lin did not directly answer questions and instead called on “all parties to immediately cease hostilities to avoid further escalation.”
