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U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday that China has agreed not to send weapons to Iran and that Chinese President Xi Jinping personally assured him of that in a written response. Trump also claimed Beijing was happy with U.S. efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote that China had agreed not to arm Iran and said he expected a warm welcome from Xi during his planned May 14-15 summit in Beijing.
“They have agreed not to send weapons to Iran. President Xi will give me a big, fat, hug when I get there in a few weeks,” Trump wrote.
In a separate interview aired Wednesday on Fox Business, Trump said Xi had “essentially” promised not to deliver weapons to Tehran.
“I had heard that China’s giving weapons to, I mean—you’re seeing it all over the place—to Iran,” Trump said.
“And I wrote him a letter asking him not to do that, and he wrote me a letter saying that essentially he’s not doing that.”
Trump’s remarks came ahead of his planned summit with Xi in Beijing on May 14-15.
The meeting had originally been scheduled for March but was delayed because of Trump’s decision to launch the war, according to the report.
Trump used both his Truth Social post and the Fox interview to present the issue as one he had raised directly with Xi and said he had received a written assurance in return.
In one account of the interview, Trump said China had told him no weapons would be sent to Iran.
Trump also said China was pleased that the United States was “permanently opening” the Strait of Hormuz.
“China is very happy that I am permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz. I am doing it for them, also - And the World,” Trump wrote in his social media post.
He added, “This situation will never happen again.”
In another version of the post cited in the reports, Trump also wrote, “We are working together smartly, and very well! Doesn’t that beat fighting??? BUT REMEMBER, we are very good at fighting, if we have to - far better than anyone else!!!”
There was no comment from China on Trump’s statement that Beijing was happy with the U.S. move in the strait, according to one of the reports.
The conflict in the Middle East has added tension to the already complicated relationship between the United States and China, the reports said.
China accused the United States on Tuesday of “dangerous and irresponsible” behavior over its blockade of Iranian ports in the Strait of Hormuz.
Xi also vowed that Beijing would play a “constructive role” in promoting peace in the Middle East, according to the report.
China is Iran’s biggest trading partner and a major buyer of Iranian oil.
The reports also noted that a spokesperson for China’s foreign affairs ministry dismissed media reports that Beijing was offering military support to Iran and said any tariff increases on China would be met with “countermeasures.”
In the Fox Business interview, Trump also said the war was “very close” to ending as peace negotiations were set to continue later this week.
His remarks came amid U.S. media reports that U.S. intelligence had indicated China was preparing to ship advanced weaponry to Iran.
Asked about those reports, Trump said he had written directly to Xi to tell him not to do so and said Xi replied that he was not.
Trump was also asked in the Fox interview about reports that China had recently carried out a major cyberattack against the FBI.
He did not directly confirm the report, but said, “We do it to them. They do it to us.”
“China’s China,” he said. “They’re never easy, but we’re doing great with China.”
Trump also said he was “the toughest person” on China.
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