By Emmanuel Bobby
President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held more than two hours of talks in Beijing on Thursday, with the war involving Iran and the growing crisis in the Strait of Hormuz dominating discussions between the two global powers. Secretary of State Marco Rubio later revealed that the leaders addressed the escalating conflict, global energy disruptions, Taiwan tensions and the imprisonment of Hong Kong pro-democracy publisher Jimmy Lai.
Speaking after the summit, Rubio said both Washington and Beijing agreed that the Strait of Hormuz should not become militarized and opposed any effort to impose a tolling system on the strategic waterway. The strait, one of the world’s most critical oil shipping routes, has faced severe disruptions amid the ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran, fueling global fears over energy shortages and rising fuel prices.
“The Chinese side said they are not in favor of militarizing the Strait of Hormuz, and they’re not in favor of a tolling system, and that’s our position,” Rubio said following the talks.
The meeting marked a notable diplomatic moment for Rubio, who traveled to China despite remaining under sanctions imposed by Beijing in 2020 over his criticism of China’s human rights record. Chinese officials previously clarified that the sanctions applied to Rubio’s role as a former senator and would not block his entry as secretary of state.
Iran Conflict Overshadows Trump’s China Visit
The war involving Iran has become a defining issue during Trump’s trip to China, which had already been delayed by six weeks because of the rapidly deteriorating Middle East situation. China, a close economic and diplomatic partner of Iran, has repeatedly condemned U.S. and Israeli military strikes that began on Feb. 28 and has continued urging a diplomatic settlement to the conflict.
Before the summit, many analysts expected Trump to pressure Xi for assistance in helping end the war and de-escalate tensions around the Strait of Hormuz. The narrow passage is vital to global oil exports, and disruptions there have shaken international energy markets while sending gasoline prices higher around the world.
Trump previously credited China with helping encourage Iran to enter ceasefire negotiations last month. However, Rubio insisted the president did not seek Beijing’s direct assistance during Thursday’s talks.
“We’re not asking for China’s help. We don’t need their help,” Rubio said.
Still, he acknowledged that China and other nations dependent on global oil markets have a significant stake in ensuring stability in the region.
“We are not immune to global oil prices at some point, because we do buy from the global market, but other countries around the world are paying a much higher price,” Rubio explained. “They’ve got to get involved in this as well.”
Rubio also said Trump and Xi found common ground regarding Iran’s nuclear ambitions, with China reaffirming its opposition to Tehran obtaining nuclear weapons.
Chinese state media offered only a limited summary of the discussions. According to Xinhua, the leaders “exchanged views on major international and regional issues including the Middle East situation,” without specifically mentioning Iran.
Trump Defends Hard-Line Approach on Iran Negotiations
Rubio also defended recent remarks by Trump in which the president said he was “not even a little bit” concerned about domestic political pressure tied to rising economic costs from the conflict.
According to Rubio, Trump believes Iran should not expect the White House to soften its negotiating position because of concerns over fuel prices or public opinion.
“What the president’s making clear is, if the Iranians think that they are going to use our domestic politics to pressure him into a bad deal, that’s not going to happen,” Rubio said.
The comments reflect the administration’s continued insistence that any agreement with Tehran must include strict limits on Iran’s military and nuclear capabilities, despite mounting economic concerns among American consumers and allies abroad.
Taiwan Emerges as Another Major Flashpoint
In addition to the Middle East crisis, Taiwan remained one of the most sensitive and consequential issues discussed during the summit.
According to China’s official readout, Xi warned Trump that mishandling the Taiwan issue could severely damage U.S.-China relations and potentially lead to “clashes and even conflicts.”
Taiwan remains a self-governing democracy, but Beijing claims the island as part of its territory and has repeatedly vowed eventual reunification, by force if necessary. While the United States does not formally recognize Taiwan diplomatically, it remains the island’s strongest international supporter and largest arms supplier.
Rubio emphasized that longstanding U.S. policy toward Taiwan remains unchanged.
“Our policies on that have not changed,” he said. “It’s been pretty consistent across multiple presidential administrations, and remains consistent now.”
Trump has frequently approached Taiwan policy through an economic and transactional lens, urging Taipei to increase defense spending while criticizing its semiconductor industry for drawing manufacturing jobs away from the United States. Those comments have raised concerns among some Taiwan supporters that Trump could eventually offer concessions to Beijing on issues surrounding Taiwan’s sovereignty.
Some analysts have also expressed concern over Trump’s remarks suggesting he and Xi have discussed U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, which critics argue could undermine decades of American strategic policy.
Rubio attempted to downplay those concerns, saying arms sales “did not feature prominently” in Thursday’s discussions.
The Trump administration approved an estimated $11 billion arms package for Taiwan in December, reportedly the largest such deal ever authorized. Officials have also voiced growing concern about China’s increasingly aggressive military activity near the island, including near-daily deployments of warships and fighter aircraft.
“From our perspective, any forced change in the status quo and the situation that’s there now would be bad for both countries,” Rubio said.
Trump Raises Jimmy Lai’s Imprisonment With Xi
Another sensitive topic during the summit involved the imprisonment of Jimmy Lai, the 78-year-old Hong Kong media tycoon and outspoken critic of China’s Communist Party.
Lai became a prominent figure during Hong Kong’s massive pro-democracy protests in 2019 and was later convicted under Beijing’s sweeping national security law. Earlier this year, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison in a landmark case widely criticized by Western governments and human rights organizations.
Rubio said Trump personally raised Lai’s case during his meeting with Xi.
“The president always raises that case and a couple others, and obviously we’ll hope to get a positive response from that,” Rubio said.
When asked whether Lai could potentially relocate to the United States if released, Rubio declined to give specifics but signaled Washington would support any arrangement restoring his freedom.
“We’d be open to any arrangement that would work for them, as long as he’s given his freedom,” Rubio said.
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