Trump Postpones Beijing Visit as Iran War Disrupts U.S.-China Diplomatic Reset

President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he is postponing his highly anticipated trip to China to meet President Xi Jinping, citing the ongoing war with Iran as a major factor delaying efforts to reset relations between the world’s two largest economies.

“We are resetting the meeting … We’re working with China. They were fine with it,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.

The visit had been scheduled from March 31 to April 2 and would have marked the first trip to Beijing of Trump’s 14-month-old second term. The president said the meeting is now expected to occur in approximately five to six weeks.

The postponement adds uncertainty to both markets and diplomacy, as the Iran conflict has driven up oil prices, threatened shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, and intensified investor focus on energy security.

Trump’s military campaign and economic actions in Iran have drawn significant attention from his administration, while critics note that a state visit abroad could appear out of step with ongoing U.S. economic challenges and the return of American service members killed in the Middle East.

Iran has warned it may target vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil trade. Trump has urged multiple countries, including China, to help ensure safe passage, but Beijing has not yet directly responded to the request.

Preparations for the visit had included talks in Paris this week between U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. Discussions focused on potential additional purchases of U.S. agricultural goods, including poultry, beef, and other row crops, as well as increased access to rare earth minerals controlled by China, alongside strategies to manage trade and investment relations.

“Head of state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable role in providing strategic guidance to China-US relations,” said Lin Jian, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson, earlier this week.