President Donald Trump has actively sought to draw China into efforts to lift the Strait of Hormuz blockade, but Chinese President Xi Jinping pushed back indirectly by emphasizing maritime sovereignty.
In an eight-minute phone interview with the Financial Times on the 15th (local time), Trump said, "China gets 90% of its oil through this strait, so they should help." Regarding the U.S.-China summit scheduled in about two weeks, he stressed, "Two weeks is a long time" and "it could be postponed." White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on the 16th that "President Trump is looking forward to visiting China, but the schedule could be adjusted."
Xi, however, wrote in a commentary published in Chinese state media that "China must firmly safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights" and that "to advance Chinese-style modernization, we must efficiently develop and utilize the ocean and achieve high-quality development of the maritime economy." Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a regular briefing regarding Trump's request to dispatch warships to the Strait of Hormuz that "all countries should cease military actions."
Some analysts interpreted Trump's remarks as an attempt to gain the upper hand over Xi using his signature negotiating tactics. This comes as temperature differences emerged in preliminary negotiations between the two countries ahead of the summit. The U.S. focused on China's purchase commitments, while China expressed opposition to the Section 301 investigation announced by the U.S. Trade Representative last week. However, some assessed that Trump's strategy proved effective as the two sides reached a certain level of agreement in preliminary talks. Analysts suggest that China, which had been walking a tightrope between Iran and the U.S., aligned its willingness to achieve results at the summit with Trump's pressure.
The South China Morning Post reported that on the first day of negotiations, the U.S. and China discussed various agenda items ranging from the possibility of extending bilateral tariff and non-tariff measures to mutual investment. Chinese Vice Commerce Minister Li Chenggang said, "The two countries held in-depth, candid, and constructive consultations."
Both sides agreed to maintain tariff stability and discussed ways to establish investment promotion mechanisms. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also described the high-level consultations as "constructive."