Trump Threatens to Delay Beijing Summit, China Pressed to Help Open Hormuz Strait

US President Donald Trump. (PHOTO White House via Wikimedia Commons)

JAKARTA - US President Donald Trump has signaled that he will postpone a summit meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing if there is no clarity about China's role in efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. In the midst of the Iran-US and Israel wars, the world's most vital oil route is now being drawn into the diplomatic bargaining arena.

Launching CNBC, Monday, March 16, Trump in an interview with the Financial Times said his visit to Beijing, which was originally scheduled for March 31 to April 2, could be postponed. "We may postpone," Trump said. He said the two weeks before the meeting was still a long time and Washington wanted more certainty first.

The statement came as US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent met with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Paris to discuss the summit's plans. Until now, Beijing has also not confirmed the official date of the meeting.

Trump pressured China on economic grounds. From the top of Air Force One, he said that about 90 percent of China's oil came through the Strait of Hormuz. Therefore, according to him, helping to open the path is also in Beijing's interest. Washington has also asked a number of European and Asian countries to get involved.

However, data cited by CNBC shows China's dependence on Hormuz is not as great as Trump described. In the past two years, China has diversified its energy sources and strengthened its strategic reserves. Rush Doshi of the Council on Foreign Relations said China's oil imports passing through the strait are now less than half of its total oil shipments. Nomura even estimates that oil flows through Hormuz are equivalent to only 6.6 percent of China's total energy consumption.

At the same time, satellite imagery shows Iran has continued to send large amounts of crude oil to China since the war broke out late last month.

Ahead of the Beijing Summit, tensions between the two countries also rose in the trade sector. The US launched an investigation into alleged excess production capacity and forced labor issues. China responded by accusing Washington of unilaterally using Article 301 investigations, discriminating against them, and in violation of international rules.

For the Asian region, including Indonesia, this development is important. Because, any disruption in Hormuz can quickly suppress energy prices, logistics costs, and global supply chains.