US President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he will hold extensive discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping about Iran during their two-day summit.
Trump insisted the US does not need any assistance in addressing the situation, with the war remaining in an indefinite ceasefire for more than a month, but acknowledged it will be a significant topic during his engagements with Xi.
“We’re going to have a long talk about it. I think he’s been relatively good, to be honest with you. You look at the blockade, no problems. They get a lot of their oil from that area. We’ve had no problem, and he’s been a friend of mine,” Trump told reporters at the White House as he prepared to depart for Beijing.
China is by far the largest purchaser of Iranian crude, accounting for 90% of Iran’s total oil sales, according to data from the Windward maritime intelligence group.
Beijing has shown itself to be increasingly willing to openly defy US sanctions on the sale of Iranian oil. Earlier this month, China instructed companies to ignore US sanctions on five Chinese refineries sanctioned for their alleged role in facilitating the Iranian oil trade.
Asked by a reporter if Xi needs to intervene with Iran, Trump insisted that it is unnecessary.
“I don’t think we need any help with Iran. We’ll win it one way or the other. We’ll win it peacefully or otherwise,” he said.
Earlier Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi urged Pakistan to step up mediation efforts and contribute to “properly” addressing issues related to opening the Strait of Hormuz, state-run Xinhua News reported.
Wang made the remarks in a call with his Pakistani counterpart, Ishaq Dar, as Islamabad is continuing efforts to get a second round of direct talks between Washington and Tehran.
The two top diplomats stressed the importance of continuing a “durable” ceasefire between the US and Iran, and ensuring normal passage through the Strait of Hormuz, according to a statement from the Pakistani Foreign Ministry.
Pakistan brokered a two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran on April 8, followed by critical talks in Islamabad attended by senior delegations from both countries on April 11 and 12. Neither side was able to reach an agreement to bring the war to an end.
The two warring sides have since been exchanging formulas and counter-formulas to reach a middle ground to resume a second round of direct talks to end the war that has already disrupted global energy supplies and daily lives across the region.
