Trump-Xi summit delayed as U.S. president pushes China to help open Hormuz - The Washington Post

The Washington Post
March 17, 2026
3 min read

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Trump delays Xi summit while pressing China to support U.S. interests in the Strait of Hormuz.

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President Trump has delayed a planned summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping while pressing Beijing to assist in keeping the Strait of Hormuz open to international shipping. The delay signals Trump's use of high-level diplomatic engagement as leverage to secure Chinese cooperation on a critical global chokepoint through which roughly one-third of the world's seaborne oil passes. Control over the Hormuz Strait has long been a flashpoint between Iran and the West, with Iran periodically threatening to block the passage. By conditioning the summit on Chinese action, Trump is attempting to build an international coalition to counter Iranian threats to maritime commerce, a core Trump administration priority. The move reflects the administration's broader strategy of using both incentives and pressure to realign geopolitical relationships on issues it deems strategically vital.

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