WASHINGTON/PARIS: Donald Trump’s highly anticipated meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping could be postponed as the US president remains focused on the Iran war, the White House said on Monday. Any delay in Trump’s scheduled March 31 to April 2 China trip risks magnifying tensions between Washington and Beijing, as the Iran crisis has joined trade and Taiwan among the spectrum of issues separating the world’s two biggest economies.

Iran has responded to joint US-Israeli attacks on that nation by threatening to fire on vessels moving through the strait, even as its own ships continue to transit the strait at near-normal rates. Trump has called on numerous nations, including China, to help ships safely transit the key Strait of Hormuz, where one-fifth of the world’s oil transits on a daily basis. Trump’s request for assistance so far has largely been rebuffed.

China, which imported around 12 million barrels of oil daily in the first two months of 2026, most in the world, has not directly responded to Trump’s request. “The president looks forward to visiting China,” spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

“The dates may be moved. As commander-in-chief, it’s his number-one priority right now to ensure the continued success of this operation, Epic Fury. So we’ll keep you posted on the dates as soon as we can.” Trump told the Financial Times on Sunday he might postpone the meeting if China did not help to unblock the Strait of Hormuz.

Paris talks with Chinese were ‘constructive’, says US treasury secretary

Earlier, on Fox News’ “Fox & Friends” programme, Leavitt said, “I don’t think the meeting is in jeopardy, but it’s quite possible the meeting could be delayed.”

US-China talks

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Monday that talks with top Chinese officials in the French capital had been “constructive”. “They were constructive and they show the stability of the relationship,” he told journalists.

The meeting in Paris was widely seen as setting the stage for US President Donald Trump to visit China. The trip was initially planned from March 31 to April 2, but US officials confirmed on Monday that it was likely to be delayed due to Washington’s war on Iran.

Bessent met Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer also attending the talks, according to his office. They follow a turbulent year in US-China economic ties since Trump returned to the presidency.

The United States announced new trade investigations last week into excess industrial capacity, targeting 60 economies including China and other key partners.

The prospect has fuelled the possibility of further tariffs after the Supreme Court struck down Trump’s global duties.

The probes will look into “failures to take action on forced labour” and whether these burden or restrict US commerce, according to US officials. Greer said his team gave the Chinese “a preview of what we’re doing on US trade policy as we adjust to the Supreme Court”.

“The president’s trade policy ha­­sn’t changed, our tools may change, and we’re conducting these investigations,” he added.

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2026