President Donald Trump claimed that China has agreed not to send weapons to Iran, amid reports that Beijing was planning to give Tehran new air defense systems. Trump made the statement on Wednesday, just hours after China’s Foreign Affairs Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun called Trump’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz “dangerous and irresponsible behavior.”
In a pre-taped interview with Fox News Business’ Mornings with Maria, Trump said that Xi Jinping had written him a letter confirming that China would not send any more weapons to Iran. “I wrote him a letter asking him [Xi] not to do that [send Iran weapons], and he wrote me a letter saying that essentially he’s not doing that,” Trump said. China, however, denied reports that it was preparing to deliver new air defense systems to Iran, calling them “completely fabricated.”
According to the New York Post, Trump also predicted that Chinese leader Xi Jinping “will give me a big, fat hug” when they meet on May 14-15 in Beijing, marking the first time a US president has visited Chinese soil in about nine years. This comes just one day after Chinese officials slammed his blockade as “dangerous and irresponsible.”
China’s role in the Strait of Hormuz dispute is central to Trump’s pressure strategy
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical waterway through which China gets roughly 45-50% of its crude oil imports, and over a fifth of the world’s seaborne oil passes through it every year. Trump ordered the blockade over the weekend after Iran demanded tolls and allowed its vessels to interfere with traffic through the strait.
The US has said its military would not stop ships using the strait to travel to and from non-Iranian ports, though shipping data analyzed by BBC Verify shows that at least four Iran-linked ships crossed the strait on Tuesday. Trump said his goal is to pressure Iran into giving up its nuclear ambitions and to keep the strait open.
It is worth noting that while Trump was focused on the Iran situation, he brought Rubio to UFC instead of the Iran nuclear talks, leaving Vance to handle the negotiations. In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote, “China is very happy that I am permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz. I am doing it for them, also, And the World.” He added, “This situation will never happen again. They have agreed not to send weapons to Iran.”
According to BBC, China’s foreign ministry pushed back on the blockade, with Guo Jiakun saying it would “intensify contradictions, exacerbate tensions, undermine the already fragile ceasefire, and further jeopardize the security of navigation through the strait.” The US had also previously threatened to impose a 50% tariff on Chinese goods if Beijing provided military assistance to Tehran.
In the same Fox News interview, Trump downplayed a question about China mounting a cyber attack against the US, saying the US is “very good at fighting, if it has to.” He also said about the broader US-China relationship, “I’ll address things, but it is what it is; China is China.” The ceasefire between the US and Iran has been in place since April 8, but remains fragile.
Also, major unresolved issues include the status of the Strait of Hormuz and whether Lebanon is included in the agreement. Trump’s administration has faced scrutiny on other fronts as well, including the firing of two immigration judges who dismissed deportation cases against Palestinian rights advocates. Trump said the Iran war is “very close to over,” and that his good relationship with Xi Jinping is a positive factor in moving things forward.
Published: Apr 15, 2026 12:30 pm