In an interview published Sunday by the Financial Times, Trump said the timing of the meeting could shift depending on progress in restoring navigation through the key oil transit route.

“We’d like to know before (the summit),” Trump said, adding that “we may delay,” without specifying how long a postponement might last.

The Strait of Hormuz, which connects Gulf energy producers to global markets, has come under heightened strain during the conflict with Iran, raising concerns about disruptions to international oil shipments.

Washington has sought diplomatic and security cooperation from major powers to ensure the passage remains open as tensions across the Middle East escalate.

Trump’s remarks suggest the United States is looking to China to play a role in stabilizing the situation. Beijing maintains significant economic ties with Iran and is a major importer of Gulf energy supplies that pass through the strait.

The proposed summit in Beijing had been expected to focus on trade and geopolitical issues between the two powers, but Trump indicated that progress on the maritime corridor could influence whether the meeting proceeds on schedule.

Foreign Minister Wang Yi made the remarks during a press conference on the sidelines of China’s annual parliamentary meeting in Beijing, warning that the absence of engagement between the world’s two largest economies could deepen tensions at a time of heightened geopolitical strain. “Failure to engage between the two nations would only lead to misunderstandings and misjudgements, escalating toward confrontation and harming the world,” Wang said. His comments came as both governments prepare for a potential meeting between Xi and Trump later this month, a summit expected to address trade, security and regional tensions amid an increasingly complex global environment.

Summit preparations intensify ,Analysts say the planned meeting between the two leaders carries heightened importance as relations between Beijing and Washington face renewed scrutiny.The United States has intensified actions affecting countries with close economic and political ties to China, including Iran and Venezuela, developments that have drawn attention to Beijing’s diplomatic posture and its willingness to defend partners facing pressure from Washington. Observers say the confrontation unfolding in the Middle East and Washington’s broader geopolitical strategy are testing China’s foreign policy approach, which traditionally emphasises economic partnerships and diplomatic engagement rather than direct military involvement.Pressure on China’s foreign policyChina’s international strategy has rarely faced this level of examination in recent decades, according to Yasser Nasser, a historian at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.“In some senses it is existential in that it reveals that Chinese economic commitments or commitments to arms deals, for example, do not translate to directly confronting the U.S. or preventing interventions as, for example, it did during the Vietnam War,” Nasser said.

The evolving global environment has placed China in a complex position as it seeks to maintain relations with partners targeted by U.S. policies while avoiding direct confrontation with Washington.Diplomacy framed as stabilising forceWang used the press conference to emphasise China’s preference for diplomacy and engagement in international affairs, contrasting that approach with what he characterised as reliance on force in resolving disputes.He said sustained communication between major powers was necessary to maintain stability in the international system and warned against policies that could push the global order toward confrontation.China has repeatedly urged dialogue to address geopolitical tensions, including conflicts linked to the Middle East crisis and broader strategic competition between major powers. The expected Xi-Trump meeting is being closely watched by governments and markets worldwide as a potential indicator of how the two powers intend to manage their rivalry and cooperation across trade, security and diplomatic arenas.