U.S. President Donald Trump is considering delaying a key meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping “by a month or so” as he struggles to manage the surging conflict with Iran.
The meeting was set to take place between March 31 and April 2, building on the two leaders’ previous face-to-face dialogue in South Korea last October.
On Monday, Trump pushed back against claims that he was considering postponing his visit to pressure China to intervene in the Strait of Hormuz, a key strategic waterway currently closed by Iran. “I’m looking forward to being with [Xi],” Trump told reporters at the White House on March 16. “[But] it’s very simple, we’ve got a war going on, and I think it’s important that I be here.”
Still, a delay to the meeting will mean that Trump and Xi will have to wait to discuss a number of factors dragging down the U.S.-China relationship, such as China’s continued export controls on critical minerals, the U.S.’s export controls on semiconductors, and U.S. demands that China buy more agricultural products.
Analysts say the U.S. President’s decision appears driven by the Iran conflict—and a need to manage a fast-escalating conflict and the fallout in energy markets—instead of an attempt to pressure China.
“Trump’s delay seems to be genuinely about managing the Iran war,” argues Kyle Chan, a fellow at the Brookings Institution, an American think tank. “The Iran war has escalated dramatically, and it would make sense for the U.S. commander-in-chief to give this his full attention.”
Kevin Chen, an associate research fellow at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University (NTU), also thinks the mooted delay is not due to China’s unwillingness to help the U.S. unblock the Strait of Hormuz, especially given that the U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng “just had a very productive meeting in Paris”.
During the meeting, China expressed willingness to buy more agricultural produce from the U.S., Reuters reported, citing unnamed sources. U.S. officials also said there were discussions about setting up new mechanisms, like a U.S.-China “Board of Trade” to manage the economic relationship between the two countries.
A shift in priorities
Some Trump officials had suggested withdrawing from some U.S. diplomatic endeavors, like its support for Ukraine, in order to devote more resources and attention to countering China.
But now analysts say Trump’s move indicates that the Iran war, and the resulting blockage of oil and LNG exports from the Gulf, have eclipsed the U.S.’ other geopolitical priorities.
“President Trump’s move to delay the late-March summit with Xi reflects a shift in priority towards the ongoing military campaign in Iran,” says Dylan Loh, an international relations expert from NTU.
The U.S. likely has a narrow window to shape events in Iran. “The next two to three weeks are likely to be the most critical period before the Middle East situation stabilizes,” explains Khuong Minh Vu, a public policy professor from the National University of Singapore, adding that the United States and Israel will try to weaken Iran’s strategic capabilities related to nuclear weapons and missile systems.
Vu adds that Trump may also want the Iran conflict to be resolved prior to his negotiations with China to strengthen his bargaining position, particularly if Trump successfully pressures Iran to accept a negotiated agreement.
China has yet to comment on Trump’s proposal. But Beijing might be pleased with a delay; originally, it had requested a later meeting date to give officials more time to prepare.
“I don’t think the fallout will be large,” says Loh, from NTU. “China will be patient.”
