US President Donald Trump on Monday afternoon said he had requested a delay to his planned trip to Beijing later this month, where he was scheduled to meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
“We’ve got a war going on. I think it’s important that I be here,” he said.
A day earlier, Trump suggested he might cancel the visit altogether if China refused to send warships to help escort merchant vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil passage largely blockaded by Iran.
Trump said of asking China to reschedule a summit, reports The New York Times.
Iran, however, continues to sell oil to China and has allowed Chinese ships to pass safely through the Gulf, leaving Beijing with little incentive to cooperate with Washington’s request.
