U.S., China Agree Iran Must Not Obtain Nuclear Weapon, Hormuz Must Stay Open

BEIJING — The United States and China agreed Thursday that Iran must not obtain a nuclear weapon and that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open, a White House official said after President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a high-stakes summit in Beijing.

The leaders met at the Great Hall of the People, where they discussed trade, the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war with Iran and Taiwan, the self-governing democracy China considers part of its territory.

The meeting came as Washington and Tehran remain stalled in peace negotiations aimed at ending the months-old war and restoring safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route 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 militarisation of the strait and any effort to charge a toll for its use,” the White House official said, describing 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.

The Middle East discussions came as Trump seeks to end the war and restore freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, particularly ahead of the U.S. midterm elections in November.

China has also been concerned about the conflict because disruptions in the waterway could threaten its energy supplies. Beijing 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 strengthen economic cooperation, including expanding market access for American businesses in China and increasing Chinese investment in U.S. industries, the official said.

The leaders also highlighted the need to build on progress in curbing the flow of fentanyl precursors into the United States and increasing Chinese purchases of American agricultural products, according to the official.

At the summit, Trump and Xi signaled a desire to manage bilateral relations more steadily, though Xi emphasized Beijing’s firm position on Taiwan, Yonhap News Agency reported.

“It’s an honour to be with you. It’s an honour to be your friend, and the relationship between China and the USA is going to be better than ever before,” Trump said in opening remarks.

Trump said he and Xi had known each other for a long time and had a “fantastic” relationship. He said that when the two countries faced difficulties, the leaders “worked it out very quickly.”

“We are going to have a fantastic future,” he said.

Trump praised Xi as a “great leader” and said he was accompanied by the “greatest” and “best” American business delegation.

“They look forward to trade and doing business, and it’s going to be totally reciprocal on our behalf,” Trump said.

Xi said a stable U.S.-China relationship is “good for the world” and said he believes the two countries have more common interests than differences.

“China and the United States both stand to gain from cooperation and lose from confrontation,” Xi said through an interpreter.

“We should be partners, not rivals. We should help each other succeed and prosper together, and find the right way for major countries to get along well with each other in the new era,” he added.

Xi told Trump that Taiwan is the “most important issue” in U.S.-China relations and that if it is not handled properly, the two countries could face clashes or even “conflicts,” putting the broader relationship “in great jeopardy,” according to Xinhua.

Xi also raised the question of whether the United States and China can avoid the “Thucydides Trap,” a term describing the risk of conflict between a rising power and an established power because of structural tensions.

The question appeared to reflect Xi’s desire for Washington to recognize China as an equal superpower, observers said, as the two countries remain locked in strategic competition over trade, security and technology.

Before the meeting, Trump received a ceremonial welcome that included a handshake between the two leaders, national anthems performed by a military band, an inspection of an honor guard and greetings from children waving flowers and U.S. and Chinese flags.

After the talks, Trump and Xi visited the Temple of Heaven and attended a state banquet.

During the banquet, Trump invited Xi and Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan to visit the White House on Sept. 24. He proposed a toast to what he called the “rich and enduring ties” between the American and Chinese people.

Trump described the talks as “positive and productive.”

“Some of the things that we discussed today … all good for the United States and for China,” he said.

Xi said during the banquet that achieving the “great rejuvenation” of the Chinese nation and making America great again “can go hand in hand,” reiterating his call for cooperation rather than confrontation.

“We both believe that the China-US relationship is the most important bilateral relationship in the world,” Xi said through an interpreter. “We must make it work and never mess it up.”

Trump was accompanied in Beijing by prominent U.S. business leaders, reflecting his focus on the economic relationship with China. The delegation included SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Micron Technology CEO Sanjay Mehrotra, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon and Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon.

Trump and Xi are scheduled to have tea and a working luncheon Friday before Trump returns to the United States.

Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday evening for a three-day visit, his first trip to China since November 2017. He and Xi last met in person in Busan, South Korea, in late October on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

This week’s summit is the first in a possible series of bilateral meetings between Trump and Xi this year, including talks on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China, in November and the Group of 20 summit in Florida in December. (Source: IANS)