WASHINGTON (AFP)
US officials confirmed on Monday that a summit between President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping is likely to be delayed due to Washington's war on Iran.
"It's quite possible the meeting could be delayed," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News.
She said "I don't think the meeting is in jeopardy" but said "it's really just a matter of timing."
"We'd like to know before" the summit, Trump said, adding "we may delay."
Earlier Monday, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent also said the March 31-April 2 summit may be shelved.
However, he sought to row back the idea that Trump was threatening a summit delay to impose pressure on the Hormuz issue.
Speaking to US broadcaster CNBC from Paris where he held "very good" economic meetings with the Chinese, Bessent said a presidential trip abroad "may not be optimal" during a time of military conflict with Iran.
"We will see whether the visit takes place as scheduled. But what I do want to parse -- and there's a false narrative out there -- that if the meetings are delayed, it wouldn't be delayed because the president's demanded that China police the Strait of Hormuz," Bessent said.
"If the meeting for some reason is rescheduled, it would be rescheduled because of logistics," he added. "The president wants to remain in DC to coordinate the war effort, and traveling abroad at a time like this may not be optimal."
The Strait of Hormuz, a vital oil trade route, has been effectively blocked as a result of the US-Israeli war against Iran.
Sporadic attacks on ships by Iran and the threat of sea mines have been enough to drive traffic down to a trickle.