U.S. President Donald Trump revealed in a Fox Business interview on Wednesday, April 15 that he had formally sent a letter to Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping, asking China not to provide weapons support to Iran. Trump said Xi replied in his response that China has not provided any military equipment to Tehran.
Trump did not disclose the exact timing of the exchange of letters. Just last week, he issued a stern warning that any country providing armed assistance to Iran would face an immediate 50 percent punitive tariff imposed by the United States.
In an interview on the program “Mornings with Maria,” Trump described the diplomatic exchange: “I wrote him a letter asking him not to do it (provide weapons), and he replied saying that he basically would not do that.”
In addition, Trump said he was not worried that fluctuations from the Iran war or the situation in Venezuela would impact global oil markets and, in turn, affect a planned “Trump–Xi meeting” next month. Trump bluntly stated: “He (China) needs oil, and we don’t.”
After the interview, Trump further posted on Truth Social, saying he is working toward “permanently opening” the Strait of Hormuz and emphasizing that China is very pleased with the move. “I’m doing this for them, and for the whole world,” Trump wrote. He also expressed confidence in his upcoming trip to China, adding: “When I arrive there in a few weeks, President Xi will give me a big hug.”
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The White House has not yet issued an official comment on Trump’s social media remarks.
The Strait of Hormuz is currently under a two-week temporary ceasefire period. As a key transit route for about 20 percent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas, current shipping traffic through the strait is only a small fraction of its pre-war level (over 130 vessels per day). Trump said negotiations with Tehran to end the war could resume this weekend, while the U.S. military’s strict blockade of Iranian ports continues.
The Iranian military acknowledged on Wednesday that the full U.S. maritime blockade has completely cut off the country’s foreign trade.
