“The Strait of Hormuz must remain open.” That was the point of agreement the White House pulled out of the Beijing summit between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, announced in a statement posted on X on Thursday, May 14.
“President Trump had a good meeting with President Xi of China,” the statement began. It said little about Taiwan. Most of it dealt with the Iran war and the strait.
What the statement says
The two sides agreed the waterway must stay open so energy can keep flowing freely, according to the White House. Xi, it said, made clear that China opposes militarising the strait and opposes any attempt to charge a toll for using it. He also showed interest in buying more American oil, which would cut China’s dependence on the strait down the line.
On Iran, the statement was short: both countries agreed it can never have a nuclear weapon.
Economic cooperation came up too, including wider market access in China for American businesses and more Chinese investment in US industries. Leaders from many of the largest US companies sat in on part of the meeting. Trump also pressed for further progress in stopping fentanyl precursors from reaching the United States and for bigger Chinese purchases of American farm products.
Leaders speak
Trump said he and Xi “had extremely positive and productive conversations and meetings,” and described what they covered as “all good” for both countries. He invited Xi and the Chinese first lady to visit the United States on September 24, calling the connection a “very special relationship.”
Xi called China-US ties the world’s “most important.” They have remained “stable,” he said, and “we must make it work and never mess it up.” Trade between the two economies reached $414 billion last year, and Xi described it as “mutually beneficial and win-win in nature.” He said he agreed with Trump on a “new vision of building a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability.”
He also gave a warning. According to an official Chinese statement, Xi said the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations. “Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts,” he told Trump, if it is not handled properly.
Tensions behind the talks
The strait sits between Oman, Iran and the UAE and links the Gulf with the Gulf of Oman. Tension around it has stayed high since US and Israeli strikes on Iran earlier this year set off retaliatory attacks by Iran and disruption to shipping. A fragile ceasefire holds, and the United States has enforced a naval blockade on Iranian maritime traffic in the strait since April 13.
Sources
Sources
- Xi, Trump agree 'Hormuz must remain open,' White House says…
- Trump, Xi agree Hormuz must stay open, White House says
