Trump softens tone on China over Iran sanctions
SCMP · 2 SOURCESabout 4 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
US President Donald Trump said China had remained “relatively inactive” during the prolonged closure of the Strait of Hormuz and spoke warmly about Chinese President Xi Jinping ahead of an expected Washington visit in a couple of weeks. His comments came as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested Chinese banks might not be hit by the administration’s threatened “Economic D-Day” secondary sanctions linked to Iran.
Key Points
- Speaking on Monday, Trump said Xi had been “relatively inactive” over Hormuz compared with what China could have done, while discussing Xi’s expected visit.
- Trump said Xi was coming in a couple of weeks, that both leaders looked forward to the meeting, and that they had maintained a very good relationship.
- Trump also said he had a lot of respect for Xi and believed Xi now respected both him and the United States again.
- Bessent told CNBC on Monday that media claims the US could not act without China were false, adding that Washington still could.
- New US sanctions announced by Bessent covered 60 entities worldwide, including mainland Chinese and Hong Kong-based intermediaries, but not major banks or refineries.
Why It Matters
The softer public line suggests Washington is trying to avoid a direct sanctions clash with Beijing just before Xi’s September 24 state visit to Washington. For Hong Kong readers, the inclusion of Hong Kong-based intermediaries in the latest Iran-related measures shows the city remains exposed when US-China tensions spill into finance and shipping.