China in contact with US on Xi-Trump summit: Beijing

China announced that it was in communication with the USA about Donald Trump’s visit after Trump threatened to postpone the Strait of Hormuz trip.

Countries that benefit from shipping through the Strait of Hormuz should help secure it, Trump said in comments published by the Financial Times on Sunday.

Speaking to the newspaper, Trump said, “I think China should also help because China provides 90 percent of its oil through the Straits,” adding that he would prefer to learn Beijing’s stance before the planned visit. “We may be delayed,” he said of the trip.

The White House had previously said that Trump will travel to China from March 31 to April 2 for the highly anticipated summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

“The head of state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable role in providing strategic guidance to China-US relations,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said when asked about Trump’s remarks at a regular news conference.

Lin added that both parties have been in communication about the trip.

Beijing also signaled that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who is expected to accompany Trump on his trip to Beijing, will be allowed to enter the country despite the sanctions imposed on him in 2020 for his remarks regarding Hong Kong and Xinjiang when he was a US senator at the time.

Asked if the sanctions would affect Rubio’s ability to travel to China, Lin said, “China’s sanctions were directed at Mr. Rubio’s words and actions regarding China during his tenure in the U.S. Senate.” he said.

Chinese and US officials will meet in Paris this week to discuss potential areas of agreement on agriculture, critical minerals and managed trade that Trump and Xi could address during the summit in Beijing.