Trump Signals Possible Delay to Beijing Summit Amid US-China Tensions

Trump Signals Possible Delay to Beijing Summit Amid US-China Tensions

U.S. President Donald Trump has hinted that his planned trip to China later this month could be delayed, as Washington seeks to pressure Beijing to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz ahead of a high-stakes summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. The remarks underscore the deteriorating bilateral relationship between the two nations as they approach the summit, which was originally scheduled for March 31 to April 2.

Trump emphasized that the two weeks remaining before the meeting are a 'long time' and that the U.S. wants clarity before then. 'We may delay,' Trump told the Financial Times without elaborating on the timing. The U.S. has also increased trade pressures on several countries, including China, ahead of the summit.

Beijing has yet to confirm the dates for the visit, which would be Trump's first to China since his initial term in 2017. The leaders previously met in South Korea in 2025, where they agreed to a one-year truce in a trade war that saw tit-for-tat tariffs reach triple-digit levels last year.

Chinese top diplomat Wang Yi said earlier this month that the agenda for the exchange was already 'on the table.' Trump also noted that China imports about 90% of its oil through the strait, framing Beijing's cooperation on Hormuz as a matter of self-interest. However, data suggests that China may be less exposed to the disruption than Trump's comments imply. China has diversified its energy sources and built strategic reserves over the past two years, cushioning the blow of any prolonged disruption.

Despite these measures, both the U.S. and China appear to be increasing pressure ahead of the summit. The U.S. has launched trade investigations into a broad range of countries over alleged excess capacity and failures to address forced labor. China has criticized the Trump administration's Section 301 trade investigations as 'extremely unilateral and arbitrary,' calling the probes 'extremely unilateral, arbitrary and discriminatory.'

China has formally lodged representations with Washington against the investigations and urged the U.S. to correct its 'wrong practices' and seek negotiated solutions. The country is also monitoring the progress of the investigations closely and will take unspecified measures to defend its interests. The upcoming summit is a significant event in the bilateral relations, with Trump's visit marking the first since his initial term in 2017. The leaders had previously met in South Korea in 2025, where they agreed to a one-year truce in a trade war that had seen tit-for-tat tariffs briefly soar to triple-digit levels last year.

Both sides appeared to increase pressure ahead of the high-stakes summit in Beijing. The U.S. launched trade investigations into a broad swath of countries over alleged excess capacity and failures to address forced labor. In a statement Monday, China's commerce ministry called the probes 'once again' an abuse of the Section 301 process and 'extremely unilateral and arbitrary.'

The ministry said China has formally lodged representations with Washington against the investigations and is urging the U.S. to immediately correct its wrong practices and meet China halfway. The country is also closely monitoring the progress of the investigations and will take unspecified measures to defend its interests. The upcoming summit is a significant event in the bilateral relations, with Trump's visit marking the first since his initial term in 2017. The leaders had previously met in South Korea in 2025, where they agreed to a one-year truce in a trade war that had seen tit-for-tat tariffs briefly soar to triple-digit levels last year.