China, US in talks over timing of Trump visit

China and the United States are in communication on a range of issues, including the timing of a planned visit by Donald Trump to Beijing, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday, March 17.

Speaking in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated: “China and the U.S. are in communication on issues including the timing of President Trump’s visit to China.”

Trump said on Monday that he had proposed delaying the trip—originally scheduled for late March to early April—due to the ongoing war.

Lin added that US officials had clarified that “the visit is unrelated to the issue of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.”

However, in an interview with the Financial Times, Trump said he would like to know before departing for Beijing whether China would assist in securing the Strait of Hormuz.

A US trade official later walked back that suggestion, emphasising that any postponement of the visit would not be linked to China’s potential role in securing the strategic waterway.

By Tamilla Hasanova