MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Trump closes China visit without substantial agreements but with Xi's offer on Strait of Hormuz

Xi described the visit as “historic” and “emblematic” and said the two leaders had set a new course based on a “constructive relationship of strategic stability between China and the US”

US President Donald Trump on Friday concluded his state visit to China of less than 48 hours without substantial announcements on the main points of the bilateral agenda, although he described the encounter as “very successful” and “unforgettable” and said he had reached “fantastic” trade deals whose details were not disclosed. The final day of the trip, held at Zhongnanhai, the residence of the Chinese Communist Party leadership, produced as its most visible outcome an offer by Chinese President Xi Jinping to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, closed by Iran since the start of the war in late February.

Trump also announced he would assess in the coming days the possibility of lifting sanctions imposed on Chinese companies that purchase Iranian crude, in what would amount to one of the most significant potential concessions to emerge from the summit. The US president called his Chinese counterpart an “old friend,” expressed his wish to receive him in Washington, and said both sides had reached “a series of important consensuses.” The most geopolitically relevant of them was the shared view that Iran should not possess nuclear weapons, a common stance on one of the most critical flashpoints in the Middle East.

Xi described the visit as “historic” and “emblematic” and said the two leaders had set a new course based on a “constructive relationship of strategic stability between China and the United States.” According to the Chinese leader, the agreement covers the maintenance of stable economic and commercial ties and the “appropriate” handling of mutual concerns, alongside a commitment to strengthen coordination on international matters such as Ukraine, the Middle East, and the Korean Peninsula, all of which were addressed during Thursday's sessions.

The main friction point was Taiwan. Xi warned Trump during the first day of meetings that mishandling that issue could push the two countries toward “conflict,” according to Chinese state media. Trump confirmed on Friday that the topic was addressed “in great detail,” although he declined to specify the substance of the exchanges and said: “I have not committed in any sense.” The Chinese foreign minister said at the close of the meeting that Washington “attaches importance to China's concerns” over the island. Beijing maintains its sovereignty claim over Taiwan and considers the question, in Xi's words, “the most important” in the bilateral relationship.

The visit, Trump's second to the Asian giant after the 2017 trip during his first term and the first since his return to the White House in January 2025, was accompanied by a business delegation including Elon Musk, Jensen Huang, and Tim Cook, underscoring the economic dimension of the summit.