Call it brinkmanship with a handshake.
President Donald Trump said China has agreed not to send weapons to Iran, brushing aside mounting intelligence concerns and projecting confidence ahead of a high-stakes summit with Xi Jinping next month.
“China is very happy that I am permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz. I am doing it for them, also — And the World,” Trump wrote Wednesday. “They have agreed not to send weapons to Iran.”
“President Xi will give me a big, fat, hug when I get there in a few weeks,” Trump added, touting what he described as strong coordination between Washington and Beijing. “We are working together smartly, and very well! Doesn’t that beat fighting???”
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) April 15, 2026
The comments come as Trump prepares to travel to Beijing for a May 14–15 meeting with Xi, a summit delayed by the escalating war in Iran and rising global tensions tied to energy security.
At the center of it all is the Strait of Hormuz — one of the world’s most critical oil chokepoints.
Roughly a fifth of the world’s seaborne oil passes through the narrow corridor each year, with China relying on it for nearly half of its crude imports, making stability there a top priority for Beijing.
Trump has framed his naval pressure campaign in the region as a global benefit, insisting his moves to secure the waterway are helping both allies and rivals alike.
President Trump: 🇨🇳🇺🇸 I wrote a letter to Xi. I asked him not to give Iran weapons. He wrote me a letter, and he is saying that he is essentially not doing that. pic.twitter.com/g1lJ4bd2Vw
— Donald J Trump Posts TruthSocial (@TruthTrumpPost) April 15, 2026
