US President Donald Trump has said Chinese President Xi Jinping promised him that China will not send military aid to Iran. The leaders held talks in Beijing on Thursday, marking the first visit by a US president to China since 2017.
US officials sought to persuade China to help pressure Iran into agreeing to US peace terms and reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran closed to “enemy ships” in response to US and Israeli airstrikes.
“He said he’s not going to give military equipment. That’s a big statement,” Trump told Fox News. He added that China wants the Strait of Hormuz to remain open because it imports oil from the region.
“He said they buy a lot of their oil there, and they’d like to keep doing that,” Trump said.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told NBC News that “the Chinese side said they are not in favor of militarizing the Strait of Hormuz.” He added that Beijing does not support Iran imposing tolls on ships passing through the waterway.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC that China “will be working behind the scenes” to help restore access to the strait.
Iranian media reported on Thursday that some Chinese ships have been allowed to sail through the strait, as officials insisted that commercial vessels from friendly nations could pass provided that they follow instructions from the Iranian military.
In his opening remarks before a meeting with Trump, Xi stressed the need for the two superpowers to cooperate in areas in which they share common interests, without directly mentioning the Middle East crisis. China’s Foreign Ministry has condemned the “illegal” US sanctions on Chinese businesses accused of helping Iran; the government has ordered the companies to not comply.
The US has maintained its own blockade of Iran’s ports, with US Central Command saying it has redirected 72 ships and disabled four others since April 13.