US Treasury Secretary Bessent signals Trump will "press" Xi on Iran
Tokyo (ANTARA) - United States Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that US President Donald Trump will push Chinese President Xi Jinping to exert greater pressure on Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz amid rising tensions in the Middle East.
This is planned to occur during their meeting in Beijing next week.
In an interview with Fox News, Bessent said Trump and Xi have discussed the Iran war situation via phone calls and written correspondence. As reported by RIA Novosti on Tuesday, Bessent did not disclose when this communication between Trump and Xi took place.
“Let us see them ramp up diplomatic efforts and get Iran to open that strait,” Bessent said.
He added that China purchases 90% of Iran’s energy exports and funds the country’s largest terrorism sponsor.
While emphasising that the United States now controls the strait, Bessent also called for China to join the United States in international operations to restore commercial shipping in this vital waterway for global energy supplies.
Meanwhile, the US military on Monday (4/5) reported that two US-flagged commercial ships had successfully passed through the sea route between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.
However, Iran, which has threatened to attack ships attempting to pass through the narrow point without permission, denied that any transit shipping had been successful.
Since Trump announced the operation, fighting has intensified again in the Middle East, with Iran launching its first missile and drone attacks on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) since the ceasefire with the United States was implemented about a month ago.
Trump also stated on social media that Iran had fired upon a South Korean cargo ship and other targets unrelated to the new US maritime operation.
“It may be time for South Korea to come and join this mission,” Trump said, adding that the United States had destroyed seven Iranian small boats.
In the meeting now scheduled for 14–15 May, Bessent said the Trump administration wants to maintain stable relations with Beijing.
“We have good stability in this relationship, and that comes from mutual respect between the two leaders,” Bessent said.
Trump also said at an event in the White House that he hopes to meet Xi soon in a visit that he considers very important.
Although many trade issues and others remain unresolved, Trump’s stance towards China has softened significantly since his meeting with Xi in South Korea in October 2025.
Without directly mentioning China in the context of the Iran war, Trump claimed that the United States leads in artificial intelligence, but the two countries have a very friendly rivalry.
Source: Kyodo