- White House said both leaders recognised the importance of keeping the waterway accessible
- White House also stated that Xi expressed interest in increasing purchases of American oil as part of efforts to reduce China’s dependence
- China’s official summary of the meeting did not reference any plans to buy more oil from the United States
Donald Trump and Xi Jinping held what the White House described as a productive meeting on Thursday, with both leaders agreeing that the strategically important Strait of Hormuz should remain open to global energy shipments.
Eko Hot Blog reports that the meeting comes amid growing tensions in the Middle East following the outbreak of conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel on February 28.
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Since the escalation of hostilities, Iran has significantly disrupted shipping activities through the Strait of Hormuz, a key maritime route responsible for transporting nearly one-fifth of the world’s oil and natural gas supplies.
In a statement released after the talks, the White House said both leaders recognised the importance of keeping the waterway accessible to ensure uninterrupted global energy flow.
China is considered one of the countries most affected by the disruption, as a large portion of its crude oil imports from the Middle East passes through the strait.
According to maritime analytics company Kpler, more than half of China’s seaborne crude imports originate from the region and rely heavily on the Hormuz route.
The White House also stated that Xi expressed interest in increasing purchases of American oil as part of efforts to reduce China’s dependence on the Middle Eastern shipping corridor.
However, China’s official summary of the meeting did not reference any plans to buy more oil from the United States.
While the White House statement focused largely on trade and energy security, it made no mention of discussions regarding Taiwan, one of the most sensitive issues in China-US relations.
Earlier, Chinese state media reported that Xi had warned that tensions over Taiwan could trigger conflict between both countries if not carefully managed.
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