President Donald Trump said Wednesday that China has agreed not to send arms to Iran and is “very happy” with U.S. efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The claim was made as Washington and Beijing seek to maintain a détente ahead of high-stakes talks between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The long-contentious relationship between the two countries has been tested further by U.S. accusations that China is covertly aiding Iran militarily and anger in Beijing that its vessels could be swept up in Trump’s push to choke off traffic to Iranian ports amid halting talks over the war.
The two leaders are expected to meet in Beijing next month, after a planned March visit was postponed because of the intensifying conflict in Iran — a crisis that has put Beijing, a key partner of Tehran, on a cautious footing.
“China is very happy that I am permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz. I am doing it for them, also — the World,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. “They have agreed not to send weapons to Iran. President Xi will give me a big, fat hug when I get there in a few weeks. We are working together smartly.”
The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not respond to a request for comment seeking confirmation of an agreement. It also has not publicly confirmed dates for Trump’s May visit.
Chinese officials were infuriated by Trump’s blockade of ships leaving and entering Iranian ports, which began Monday, and sought clarity from the White House, according to a Chinese official familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the discussions. China is Iran’s biggest purchaser of oil, and a credible threat to Chinese ships would almost certainly derail the upcoming talks, the official said.
“It is a dangerous and irresponsible move. China believes that only a complete ceasefire can fundamentally create conditions for easing the situation,” Guo Jiakun, a spokesman for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said Monday.
Trump’s announcement is likely to ease some of Beijing’s concerns, analysts say. “What they see in the Trump statement today is he’s totally committed and he’s eager to come to Beijing,” said Dennis Wilder, a senior fellow at the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and former CIA deputy assistant director for East Asia and the Pacific.
One Chinese-owned vessel, the Malawi-flagged Rich Starry — which is blacklisted by the Treasury Department for allegedly helping Tehran evade sanctions — appeared to transit the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday before abruptly reversing course and stopping roughly five miles off Iran’s Qeshm Island, according to ship tracking data from the maritime intelligence firm Kpler.
U.S. Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the Middle East, has said that the blockade will be enforced against all vessels leaving or arriving at Iranian ports or coastal areas. Tracking data does not indicate that the Rich Starry left an Iranian port after the blockade was enforced. Before entering the strait, the tanker had departed the United Arab Emirates and listed its destination as China.
Beijing has sought to distance itself from direct involvement in the conflict, but it has a long history of supporting Iran’s military and has faced accusations that it is covertly supplying intelligence and limited weaponry to the regime.
U.S. officials said they had intelligence suggesting that China was preparing to deliver air defense systems to Iran in the coming weeks, including shoulder-fired antiair missiles known as MANPADS. The current status of the potential shipments, first reported by CNN, is unclear. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss intelligence matters.
Private Chinese firms with links to China’s military also have marketed data intelligenceproducts targeting U.S. movements throughout the war, while Beijing has walked a fine diplomatic line — calling for an immediate ceasefire but cautioning that the deal should be fair to Iran.
If Beijing did offer assurances to the White House that it would not arm Tehran, it would amount to little more than a restatement of its denials since the war began — and analysts say any such pledge should be viewed with caution.
“They’re just not credible. … Look at the denials on Russia. They’ve been caught red-handed, and yet they continue to say, ‘We’ve not done anything,’” said Wilder, alluding to accusations that China has aided the Kremlin in its war in Ukraine.
China did issue a last-minute appeal last week urging Iran to accept the ceasefire agreement, but it has stopped short of more direct involvement in talks, despite maintaining rapid-fire diplomatic coordination with Tehran, regional allies and European countries.
This week, Xi met with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed al-Nahyan, and the two sides unveiled a four-point proposal to promote stability in the Middle East, calling for adherence to international law and respect for national sovereignty. The move follows a five-point proposal released by China and Pakistan, a key player in the peace talks, that called for an immediate ceasefire, protection of shipping lanes and a halt to the fighting.
Trump’s announcement coincides with a notably warmer tone toward China — a sharp shift from last year’s tit-for-tat tariff war, when U.S. duties on Chinese goods briefly climbed as high as 145 percent — and a marked departure from the tensions that defined his first term, when disputes over trade and the covid pandemic roiled relations.
Now, as Washington pivots to fast-moving crises in the Middle East and Venezuela, the administration has largely sidelined those disputes in favor of a more conciliatory approach to Beijing.
“We are working together smartly, and very well! Doesn’t that beat fighting??? BUT REMEMBER, we are very good at fighting, if we have to,” Trump said in the Truth Social post.
Imogen Piper and Warren P. Strobel contributed to this report
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