Beijing, China. China said it is in communication with the United States about President Donald Trump’s planned visit after Trump raised the Strait of Hormuz and suggested sanctions previously imposed on Marco Rubio are no longer in effect.
Trump links trip timing to Strait of Hormuz security
Trump said countries that benefit from shipping through the Strait of Hormuz should help secure it, in comments published by the Financial Times on Sunday. He said China should help because it gets “90% of its oil from the Straits,” and added he would prefer to know Beijing’s position before the planned visit, saying the trip could be delayed.
The White House has said Trump will travel to China from March 31 to April 2 for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
China cites role of leader diplomacy and confirms communications
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said “head of state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable role in providing strategic guidance to China-U.S. relations,” and added that both sides are in communication about the trip.
Beijing addresses Rubio sanctions and travel
Beijing signalled that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is expected to accompany Trump, would be allowed to enter China despite sanctions imposed on him in 2020 over remarks about Hong Kong and Xinjiang when he was a U.S. Senator.
Lin said China’s sanctions were aimed at Rubio’s “words and deeds concerning China” during his tenure in the U.S. Senate, when asked whether the sanctions would affect Rubio’s ability to travel to China.
Paris talks and potential summit agenda
Chinese and U.S. officials are meeting in Paris this week, with potential areas of agreement in agriculture, critical minerals and managed trade that could be taken up by Trump and Xi during the summit in Beijing.
What do you expect to be the main focus of the Trump-Xi summit in Beijing?