US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he is planning to delay a high stakes visit to China later in March by about a month because of the Iran war.
‘‘We’ve requested that we delay it a month or so,’’ he told reporters at the White House, adding that it was important that he remained available to oversee the war.
The meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping is currently set to take place between 31 March to 2 April, following their last face to face talks in October last year.
The Iran war has eclipsed most of Trump’s other foreign policy priorities, faced with an intensifying conflict and disruptions to the global oil supply, which has threatened to raise prices in the US.
The BBC has contacted the Chinese embassy in Washington for comment.
Trump said he had proposed the delay solely to make sure he was around to manage the war.
‘‘I’m looking forward to being with him,’’ he said, referring to Xi. ‘‘We have a very good relationship.’’
‘‘There’s no tricks to it either,’’ Trump added. ‘‘It’s very simple. We’ve got a war going on. I think it’s important that I be here.’’
The latest development comes a day after Trump told the Financial Times that he might postpone the meeting if China did not help unblock the Strait of Hormuz - a critical waterway for the Gulf’s energy shipments.
He also called on other nations to help ships transit safely through the channel.
Representatives from the US and China have met in Paris in recent days for negotiations, such as over investments, tariffs and economic sanctions between the countries.
Source: BBC
--Agencies
