By Ginika Igboke
President Donald Trump said he will delay his planned trip to China as the war with Iran continues, citing the need to remain in the United States during the conflict.
“I have to be here, I feel. And so we’ve requested that we delay it a month or so,” Trump told reporters on March 16.
The visit, which included a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, had been scheduled for March 31 to April 2.
Trump had earlier suggested the trip might be postponed and has urged China to support U.S. efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a key global oil transit route that Iran has largely closed. Beijing has not publicly responded to those requests.
Following U.S.–Israeli strikes, Tehran restricted maritime traffic through the strait, raising concerns about a global oil supply shock. On March 16, Brent crude settled at around $100 per barrel, up nearly 40 percent from pre-war levels in late February.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said any delay in the trip would be due to logistics and the president’s responsibilities as commander in chief.
“It would be a decision the president made as commander in chief to stay in the White House or to stay in the United States while this war is being prosecuted,” he said in an interview with CNBC.
The remarks followed a new round of trade talks in Paris between Bessent, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, and their Chinese counterparts.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed that message, saying the schedule could change depending on developments.
“As commander-in-chief, it’s his No. 1 priority right now to ensure the continued success of this Operation Epic Fury,” she said.
Political commentator Gordon Chang said postponing the trip is understandable given the geopolitical situation.
“China is an enemy combatant, and it would not be appropriate for President Trump to go to its capital at a time of war,” he said.
Trump has continued to call on major economies to assist in securing the Strait of Hormuz, noting that several countries have agreed to send warships to help escort commercial vessels.
“Numerous countries have told me they’re on the way. Some are very enthusiastic about it,” he said, while suggesting some nations may decline to participate.
In a March 15 post on Truth Social, Trump named China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom as countries he hopes will contribute naval support.
China’s Response Remains Unclear
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian did not directly address Trump’s request for assistance.
He acknowledged tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and called on all sides to halt military operations but avoided confirming whether China would send ships to the region.
When asked if Beijing had received a formal request from Washington, Lin reiterated that China is maintaining communication with all parties involved in the conflict.
Yeh Yao-Yuan, a professor at the University of St. Thomas in Houston, said China may be uncertain about how Iran’s political alignment could change after the war.
As a result, Beijing may be hesitant to take actions that could jeopardize its relationship with Tehran.
Chang also suggested China may be reluctant to host Trump if the United States appears to be gaining the upper hand in the conflict.
“If they think Trump is winning the war, they probably don’t want him parading around their capital,” he said.
Broader Geopolitical Implications
The potential delay comes amid broader speculation that the summit could be disrupted by ongoing military operations in Iran, including strikes that killed Iranian leader Ali Khamenei.
The development follows another recent shift in global geopolitics after the U.S. capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro earlier this year—another government viewed as aligned with Beijing.
At a March 1 press conference, China’s top diplomat Wang Yi said the Iran conflict should not have occurred but emphasized the importance of continued engagement between China and the United States.
Analysts say Beijing’s cautious tone reflects an effort to avoid further strain in relations with Washington while reassessing its strategic position in the Middle East.
“China is already being pushed out of the Middle East by Trump, so it doesn’t look good for them,” Chang said. “Iran was their No. 1 proxy, and that position is now under pressure.”
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