China still communicating with US over Trump visit

China says it is in communication with the US about Donald Trump’s planned visit to Beijing, despite the president’s suggestion he might delay the trip if China did not help to unblock the strait of Hormuz. China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said: “Head-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable strategic guiding role in China-US relations.

The two sides are maintaining communication regarding President Trump’s visit to China.” Trump is due to travel to Beijing between 31 March and 2 April, where he will meet Xi Jinping. In an interview published by the Financial Times, Trump suggested the trip could be suspended if China did not respond to the US’s request for help from third countries in securing the strait.

He said: “It’s only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries of the strait will help to make sure that nothing bad happens there. I think China should help too because China gets 90% of its oil from the straits [sic].” China imports about 50% of its crude oil through the strait of Hormuz, not 90%.

China, Beijing

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