President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping agreed Thursday that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open and free from any militarization — and Iran cannot be allowed to have nuclear weapons, according to a White House readout of their crucial summit meeting. The two leaders “agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to support the free flow of energy,” according to a White House official. “President Xi also made clear China’s opposition to the militarization of the Strait and any effort to charge a toll for its use, and he expressed interest in purchasing more American oil to reduce China’s dependence on the Strait in the future,” the person continued.
“Both countries agreed that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon.” According to the White House, the conflict in the Middle East was one of three major topics discussed during the “good meeting,” along with economic cooperation and cracking down on Chinese export of fentanyl precursors to North America. Notably, the readout made no mention of Taiwan after a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed Xi had pressed the matter, calling the fate of the self-governing island “the most important issue in China-US relations.”
