U.S. asked China to delay Xi meeting ‘a month or so’ due to Iran war
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during an event to sign an executive order creating an anti-fraud task force, chaired by U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance, in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, DC, U.S., March 16, 2026.
Jonathan Ernst | Reuters
The United States wants to postpone a planned meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing “by about a month” because of the ongoing war with Iran, President Donald Trump said Monday.
Trump was expected to travel to China’s capital to meet with Xi at the end of March.
But when asked in the Oval Office Monday afternoon whether that trip was still going on, Trump said, “I don’t know, we’re working on it right now.”
Trump said, “We are talking to China. I would love to, but I want to be here because of the war. I feel like I have to be here.”
“That’s why we requested that we postpone this for about a month,” Trump said.
“I’m looking forward to being with him. We have a very good relationship,” he said.
“There’s no trickery in this,” he added. “It’s simple. We have a war going on. I think it’s important that I’m here.”
This is breaking news. Please refresh for updates.
