After China Visit, Trump Says Xi Agrees On Blocking Iran From Having Nukes, Keeping Strait of Hormuz Open

United States President Donald Trump said United States and China agreed that "Iran can't have nuclear weapons" and that the Strait of Hormuz must stay open. Trump also described joint discussions on Taiwan, arms sales and the wider West Asia conflict while speaking with reporters on Air Force One.

Trump told the media that the United States controlled the Strait of Hormuz during the standoff. Trump said Iran had suffered heavy economic losses over the previous two and a half weeks. According to Trump, a United States naval presence in the area stopped Iranian trade worth about 500 million dollars every day.

United States and China stance on Iran and Strait of Hormuz

Trump met Chinese President Xi Jinping during a three-day state visit to China. Both leaders discussed tensions in West Asia, the regional fallout and Iran’s nuclear programme. Trump said both sides shared a clear view that Tehran must not obtain nuclear weapons and that traffic through the Strait of Hormuz had to resume.

"I have a lot of respect for him. On Iran, he feels strongly that they can't have a nuclear weapon--said that very strongly, they can't have a nuclear weapon--and he wants them to open up the strait. But as he said, they close it and you close them. And it's true, we (US) control the strait, and they (Iran) have done no business in the last two and a half weeks, which is approximately 500 million dollars a day," said President Trump.

Trump underlined that this pressure campaign targeted Iran’s economy rather than direct conflict. Trump repeated that commercial activity through the Strait of Hormuz had almost stopped for Iran. He argued that the United States naval deployment gave Washington leverage over Tehran while Beijing backed the view that the waterway must stay open.

Alongside Iran, Trump said Taiwan featured heavily in talks with Xi. Trump stated that Xi opposed any "fight for independence" in Taiwan, warning such a move would create a serious confrontation. Trump stressed that Xi spoke firmly against current actions taken by Taiwan’s leaders.

"We had a great stay; it was an amazing period of time. President Xi is an incredible guy. President Xi and I talked a lot about Taiwan. He thinks they cannot have anything to do with what they're doing. He's very much against what they're doing. We talked about Taiwan and we talked about Iran a lot, and I think we have a very good understanding on both. On Taiwan, he does not want to see a fight for independence because that would be a very strong confrontation. I heard him out. I didn't make a comment on it, but I heard him out. I have a lot of respect for him," Trump added.

Trump noted that Xi, not Washington, introduced the Taiwan question during their conversations. Trump told reporters that Xi raised concerns about United States policy without prompting. The matter resurfaced on Air Force One when journalists asked Trump about assurances given in 1982 by then United States President Ronald Reagan.

Reporters asked whether Trump had consulted Beijing on arms sales to Taiwan, given Reagan’s 1982 pledge that the United States would not do so. Trump said the earlier commitment was distant in time and reality. Trump added that Xi listed the 1982 understanding as an issue during the Beijing talks.

He said, "I think 1982 is a long way away. It was a big, far distance. I didn't say anything about it, but he brought that up. He talked about that being an issue, obviously. So, what am I going to do--say I don't want to talk to you about it because I have an agreement that was signed in 1982? No, we discussed arms sales too. We discussed Taiwan in great detail, actually. And I'll be making a decision. The last thing we need right now is a war that's 9,500 miles away. We're doing very well."

Trump’s comments showed that United States and China found some common ground on Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, while clear differences remained over Taiwan and arms sales. Trump portrayed the talks as detailed but said decisions, particularly on Taiwan weapons deals, would still rest with Washington.