Donald Trump asks to postpone summit with China’s Xi Jinping due to Iran war - Financial Times

Financial Times
March 16, 2026
3 min read

Quick Insights

The Bottom Line

President Trump has postponed a planned summit with China's Xi Jinping due to escalating Iran tensions.

How This Affects You

Delayed U.S.-China summit could slow negotiations on tariffs and trade disputes, potentially affecting consumer prices and economic relations.

AI Summary

President Trump has asked to postpone a planned summit with China's Xi Jinping, citing escalating tensions with Iran as the reason for the delay. The summit, which would have been a high-level diplomatic meeting between the two countries' leaders, reflects the administration's focus on managing multiple international crises simultaneously. The postponement signals that the Iran situation has become a near-term priority for Trump's foreign policy agenda, potentially overshadowing planned engagement with Beijing on trade and other bilateral issues. China is a key economic partner but also a strategic competitor, making the timing of such summits symbolically important for both administrations. The delay could affect negotiations on tariffs, technology competition, and other outstanding disputes between Washington and Beijing.

Source Coverage Map

13 of 43 tracked sources covered this story

30% coverage
Did Not Cover (30)
ICIJ97AP World News96AP News96AP US News96AP Top News96+25 more

Following this story?

Get notified when new coverage appears

Other Sources Covering This Story

5 sources

Multiple outlets have reported on this story. Compare perspectives from different sources.

Should this be getting more attention?

You Might Have Missed

Related stories from different sources and perspectives

A Trump-Xi Summit Nears, but China Doesn’t Know What Trump Wants
Global

A Trump-Xi Summit Nears, but China Doesn’t Know What Trump Wants

Trump’s agenda for the high-stakes meeting remains unclear to Beijing, Chinese analysts say, while American executives say they haven’t been invited along.

New York TimesMar 11
WADA to weigh barring Trump, US officials from LA Olympics and possibly World Cup over unpaid dues - AP News
Politics

WADA to weigh barring Trump, US officials from LA Olympics and possibly World Cup over unpaid dues - AP News

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikwFBVV95cUxOX1JWeV9hSkthSi1leXR6Sk4xcXU0N2owLWZ0SzR4YmVGalN0eV9fTUdfYVMxNDF3QUJxdVIyUDd2b0JHY2RueGhWSjkxZjhxQWtKNTVIZ2RneUh1MUR5Y0Q3YzNYcWp2dUpreU5oRUtDVUJZY0pjX1JMazRXNnAtQkJRRHYzdTk0U2ZQbVFlZEpDeG8?oc=5" target="_blank">WADA to weigh barring Trump, US officials from LA Olympics and possibly World Cup over unpaid dues</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<font color="#6f6f6f">AP News</font>

AP NewsMar 13
U.S. Treasury Secretary will meet China's vice premier in Paris ahead of Trump's visit to Beijing
Politics

U.S. Treasury Secretary will meet China's vice premier in Paris ahead of Trump's visit to Beijing

It comes after Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met last year and agreed to a one-year truce in a trade war that temporarily saw tit-for-tat tariffs soar to triple digits before the two sides climbed down.

PBS NewsHourMar 13
Donald Trump attacks supreme court over tariffs again in late-night social media post – US politics live
Politics

Donald Trump attacks supreme court over tariffs again in late-night social media post – US politics live

<p>President accuses court of having ‘unnecessarily RANSACKED’ the US and claims he has ‘absolute right’ to impose new tariffs</p><ul><li><p><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/2026/feb/17/sign-up-for-the-breaking-news-us-email-to-get-newsletter-alerts-direct-to-your-inbox?utm_medium=ACQUISITIONS_STANDFIRST&amp;utm_campaign=BN22326&amp;utm_content=signup&amp;utm_term=standfirst&amp;utm_source=GUARDIAN_WEB">Sign up for the Breaking News US email to get newsletter alerts in your inbox</a></p></li></ul><p>Good morning and welcome to the US politics liveblog.</p><p>In a late-night social media post, <strong>Donald Trump has claimed he has the “absolute right” to impose new tariffs</strong> after the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/20/trump-supreme-court-tariffs-ruling">supreme court ruled</a> many of the import duties he imposed last year were illegal.</p><p>Our Supreme Court has made these Countries very happy but, as the Court pointed out, I have the absolu...

The Guardian US NewsMar 16
Bessent will meet China’s vice premier in Paris ahead of Trump’s visit to Beijing - AP News
Politics

Bessent will meet China’s vice premier in Paris ahead of Trump’s visit to Beijing - AP News

<a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMipAFBVV95cUxPekpGd2I2Zm1ETDJ0enF3THhRdWwwRlZtM0lYMk9KMXFXbEZnMUhrTXk1YzRJUk9QdndORnhXaW9nT3RMUlM5TEJaVmw5Z1pCZ0UzcHJlcUE5Z1JkNWdmbUphY0g2VlY4bEthRDNFZlVyRV9IRjNheFhvQ1BXQzlmSEViWXZYaGc0eXA1Z2FWb1h6WnBYc0RVTjZGTTExcGl1TE1JeQ?oc=5" target="_blank">Bessent will meet China’s vice premier in Paris ahead of Trump’s visit to Beijing</a>&nbsp;&nbsp;<font color="#6f6f6f">AP News</font>

AP NewsMar 12
Answering Trump's call for help in Middle East 'political suicide' for allies
Global

Answering Trump's call for help in Middle East 'political suicide' for allies

President Donald Trump urged NATO partners and China to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz as it remains closed due to the ongoing war in the Middle East triggered by the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran. FRANCE 24's Oliver Farry looks at why Trump's plan could be easier said than done.

AFP / France 24Mar 16
Read Next
FCC chair threatens broadcasters' licenses over negative coverage of the war in Iran - NPR
Politics

FCC chair threatens broadcasters' licenses over negative coverage of the war in Iran - NPR

Continue reading

Did this story change how you see things?

Stories like this only matter when people see them. Help us get verified journalism in front of more eyes.

Share this story

Get the daily digest

Save for later

The Verity Ledger curates verified investigative journalism from trusted sources only.

See our sources