President Trump asserted that China is “very happy” with his decision to permanently open the Strait of Hormuz, stating the nation has agreed not to send weapons to Iran.
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. This situation will never happen again. They have agreed not to send weapons to Iran.”
He added: “President Xi will give me a big, fat, hug when I get there in a few weeks. We are working together smartly, and very well! Doesn’t that beat fighting??? BUT REMEMBER, we are very good at fighting, if we have to – far better than anyone else!!!”
Trump reported receiving a “beautiful letter” from Xi Jinping in response to his request for China not to provide weapons to Iran. “I wrote him a letter asking him not to do that. And he wrote me a letter saying that essentially he’s not doing it,” Trump stated.
The White House confirmed Trump and Xi are scheduled to meet in Beijing on May 14-15, though the meeting was delayed due to the war in Iran. China receives roughly 45-50% of its crude oil imports through the Strait of Hormuz—over one-fifth of global seaborne oil annually—and has recently urged both sides to end hostilities and open the strait for energy supply access.
U.S. intelligence reports indicate China has been preparing to send MANPADs, shoulder-fired anti-air missile systems, to Iran to counter potential American attacks. Trump characterized the conflict with Iran as “close to over” during a recent television interview. The U.S. military recently turned around six merchant vessels and “completely” halted trade from Iranian ports.
A senior administration official confirmed the blockade is “fully in effect and working,” noting no ships have passed through it since implementation, affecting only vessels traveling to and from Iranian ports. The official emphasized the President’s commitment to maintaining an open Strait for energy flow and enabling countries to purchase oil from the United States.
