Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump shake hands at a state banquet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Thursday. Reuters-Yonhap
The United States and China agreed Thursday that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon and the crucial Strait of Hormuz must remain open, a White House official said after Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping held a high-stakes summit in Beijing.
The leaders had the much-anticipated meeting at the imposing Great Hall of the People, during which they discussed an array of consequential issues, including trade, the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and Taiwan, the self-governing democracy China considers part of its territory.
The meeting came amid an impasse in peace negotiations between Washington and Tehran aimed at ending their months-old war and reopening safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping lane for oil, fertilizer and other commodities.
"The two sides agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to support the free flow of energy. President Xi also made clear China's opposition to the militarization of the strait and any effort to charge a toll for its use," the official said, casting the Trump-Xi meeting as "good."
"And he expressed interest in purchasing more American oil to reduce China's dependence on the strait in the future. Both countries agreed that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon," the official added.
Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks at a state banquet with U.S. President Donald Trump (not pictured) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Thursday. Reuters-Yonhap
Their discussions on the Middle East conflict came as Trump seeks to exit the war and restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, particularly ahead of the U.S. midterm elections slated for November.
China itself has been apprehensive about the conflict, as disruptions to shipping in the waterway could imperil its energy supplies. China has sought to shift to alternative energy sources and maintains large oil stockpiles, but the conflict has raised longer-term economic risks for the world's second-largest economy.
The two sides also discussed ways to enhance economic cooperation between the countries, including expanding market access for American businesses into China and increasing Chinese investment in U.S. industries, the official said without elaborating.
Source: Korea Times News
