US President Donald Trump has confirmed a delay to his planned trip to Beijing to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, due to the escalating US-Israel war with Iran. The visit, originally scheduled for March 31 to April 2, has been postponed by five or six weeks. Trump stated that China is fine with the delay and relations remain strong.
On March 17-18, 2026, US President Donald Trump announced at the White House a postponement of his planned Beijing visit from March 31 to April 2—the first by a US president since 2017—due to the ongoing US-Israel war against Iran. Trump said he needs to stay in Washington to oversee the conflict. Speaking on Tuesday after a bilateral meeting with Irish leader Micheal Martin for St Patrick's Day, Trump told reporters: “We’re working with China. They were fine with it … I look forward to seeing President Xi. He looks forward to seeing me, I think.” He described US-China economic ties as “very good” and the relationship as improved, adding the meeting would happen “in about five or six weeks.” The BBC reported Trump said on Monday the delay was for about a month solely to manage the war, denying prior comments to the Financial Times linking it to China's help on the Strait of Hormuz. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, leading Paris talks, stated the postponement was unrelated to China's Iran stance or trade issues, emphasizing Trump's need to coordinate from DC. China's foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Tuesday: “China and the US are in communication on the timing of President Trump’s visit to China.” Chinese analysts described the delay as a strategic opportunity for more substantive results without derailing stabilisation momentum. Recent US-China Paris negotiations on investments, tariffs, and sanctions saw minor progress, with Chinese trade representative Li Chenggang noting consensus on some issues and expectations for further talks.
