WASHINGTON, March 16 (Reuters) – It remains to be seen if U.S. President Donald Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping takes place as scheduled later this month, but any changes would be due to logistics amid the Iran war, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC on Monday.
Bessent’s remarks come after Trump told the Financial Times on Sunday he may postpone a meeting with Xi if China does not help to unblock the Strait. The Chinese foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran is now entering its third week, with no clear end in sight, shutting down the key Strait of Hormuz through which 20% of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas flow, pushing up oil prices and raising fears of a renewed spike in global inflation.
Trump is due to travel to China from March 31 to April 2 for a highly anticipated meeting between the leaders of the world’s two biggest economies.
Trump’s last trip to China, in 2017, was the most recent by a U.S. president. Trump’s visit will be the leaders’ first in-person talks since an October meeting in South Korea, where they agreed on a trade truce.
(Reporting by Susan Heavey; editing by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Katharine Jackson)
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