By Zoey
President Donald Trump is set to arrive in Beijing on Tuesday for a closely watched summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, as the United States seeks Beijing’s help in pressuring Iran to end a two-month regional conflict and reopen the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
The visit comes after weeks of mounting frustration inside the White House over what American officials see as China’s limited willingness to use its economic and political leverage over Tehran. China remains the largest buyer of Iranian oil and one of Iran’s most important international partners, giving Beijing significant influence at a time when the Middle East conflict has disrupted global energy markets and intensified diplomatic tensions.
Trump has publicly alternated between criticizing China for not doing enough to rein in Iran and acknowledging that Beijing played a role in easing tensions during earlier ceasefire discussions. Administration officials believe Chinese diplomats quietly encouraged Tehran to return to negotiations last month after talks appeared close to collapse.
Despite those efforts, White House officials are signaling that they do not expect a major breakthrough on Iran during Trump’s talks with Xi. Instead, the administration appears focused on preventing disagreements over the conflict from damaging broader negotiations on trade, technology, tariffs, and cooperation against fentanyl trafficking.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said ahead of the summit that Washington does not want the Iran dispute to derail wider discussions between the world’s two largest economies. The administration is expected to prioritize economic stability and maintaining communication channels even as tensions over the Middle East continue to simmer.
China has repeatedly stated that it supports ending the conflict through diplomacy and has quietly coordinated with regional partners, including Pakistan, in efforts to encourage negotiations between Iran and its adversaries. Analysts say Beijing’s strategy has been defined by caution, with Chinese leaders determined to avoid becoming directly entangled in a war that threatens global shipping lanes and energy supplies.
Ahmed Aboudouh, an expert on China’s role in the Middle East at Chatham House, said Beijing has tried to send careful signals both to Tehran and Washington. According to Aboudouh, Chinese officials are unhappy with Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz while also opposing American military and economic pressure tactics.
In recent days, pressure from Washington on Beijing has intensified. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent have publicly urged China to push Iran toward reopening the strait, a vital maritime route through which roughly one-fifth of global crude oil shipments passed before fighting escalated.
At the same time, the Trump administration has increased sanctions pressure on Chinese firms accused of assisting Iran. The State Department announced sanctions against several entities, including China-based companies accused of supplying satellite imagery used in Iranian military operations targeting U.S. forces in the Middle East. The Treasury Department has also targeted Chinese refineries and shipping firms accused of facilitating Iranian oil exports despite existing sanctions.
Those measures effectively block the sanctioned firms from accessing the U.S. financial system and threaten penalties against companies that continue doing business with them.
Beijing has strongly condemned the sanctions, calling them illegal and accusing Washington of using unilateral economic coercion. In response, Chinese authorities have begun enforcing a blocking statute introduced in 2021 that prohibits Chinese companies from complying with certain foreign sanctions measures.
Ahead of Trump’s arrival, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi hosted Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Beijing, where China reiterated support for Iran’s right to pursue civilian nuclear energy development. The meeting underscored Beijing’s effort to maintain close ties with Tehran while presenting itself as a defender of international diplomacy and sovereignty.
Xi has also issued indirect criticism of Washington’s approach to the conflict. In recent remarks, the Chinese leader emphasized the importance of international law and warned against allowing global affairs to descend into what he described as “the law of the jungle,” language widely interpreted as criticism of unilateral military actions and sanctions.
Despite the diplomatic friction, both Washington and Beijing appear eager to avoid a broader confrontation that could damage already fragile economic relations.
Trump said Monday that Xi wants to see the Strait of Hormuz reopened and suggested there was room for cooperation despite ongoing disagreements. “He’d like to see it get done,” Trump said when asked about Xi’s position on restoring shipping access through the strait.
For China, the stakes are enormous. The country imports a significant share of its crude oil and liquefied natural gas from Middle Eastern suppliers affected by the conflict. Prolonged disruptions to maritime trade routes could place additional strain on China’s slowing economy and further complicate its trade relationship with the United States.
Analysts say Xi is likely approaching the summit with the goal of preserving stability while resisting pressure to align too closely with Washington’s strategy on Iran.
Craig Singleton of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies said Xi wants the meeting to reinforce China’s image as a global power while ensuring that tensions with the United States remain manageable. According to Singleton, Beijing’s objective is to maintain predictable trade conditions without appearing to concede to American demands.
Still, relations between Trump and Xi have faced several tense moments since the conflict involving Iran intensified earlier this year.
U.S. officials have long accused China of supporting Iran’s ballistic missile development through the supply of dual-use industrial components that can be adapted for military purposes. Last month, Trump threatened to impose a 50% tariff on Chinese imports following reports that Beijing was preparing to send advanced air defense systems to Iran.
The president later backed away from the threat, saying Xi had provided written assurances that China would not supply Tehran with new weapons systems. Shortly afterward, Trump claimed that the U.S. Navy intercepted a Chinese vessel carrying what he described only as a “gift” for Iran, though his administration has not publicly released additional details about the incident.
Patricia Kim of the Brookings Institution said both governments appear committed to preventing the Iran conflict from destabilizing the broader U.S.-China relationship. While tensions have repeatedly flared, she noted that leaders on both sides recognize the economic risks of allowing the dispute to spiral further.
The memory of last year’s tariff confrontation continues to loom over the summit. At one point, the United States imposed tariffs as high as 145% on Chinese goods, while Beijing tightened export restrictions on rare-earth minerals critical to American industries. The two countries eventually stepped back from the brink and reached a fragile trade truce in October, but uncertainty continues to weigh on businesses and investors.
Trump administration officials have argued that China stands to suffer more economically from the Hormuz crisis than the United States because of its heavy dependence on Middle Eastern energy imports and export-driven economy.
Rubio said last week that China’s economic model depends heavily on stable global shipping routes and functioning international markets. He argued that Beijing has strong incentives to ensure maritime trade resumes normally, warning that continued disruption could damage economies across Asia.
Even so, many experts believe China will remain reluctant to deepen its involvement in the crisis.
Kurt Campbell, former deputy secretary of state during the Biden administration, said Beijing sees major political risks in becoming too closely tied to either side in the conflict. According to Campbell, Chinese leaders are wary of being drawn into what they view as an unpredictable and potentially dangerous geopolitical situation.
Original article
Comments