President Donald Trump said that he plans to host a state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping during his counterpart’s upcoming visit to Washington later this month.
Xi is expected in D.C. around Sept. 24 for a summit with the president. The meeting comes as the administration steps up pressure both on countries and companies accused of supporting Iran.
Asked what the reception would signal to U.S. allies given China’s close economic relationship with Iran, Trump played down Beijing’s involvement with Tehran.
“I said, ‘Please don’t get involved,’ to President Xi,” Trump told NOTUS during an executive order signing in the Oval Office Friday. “They’re not really involved — very little involvement by China.”
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China is a major importer of Iranian oil, and the White House has sanctioned Chinese companies over their alleged support for Tehran.
Trump argued that China continues to buy Iranian oil because it has a strong interest in maintaining its own economic stability.
“They get 50% of their oil from the Hormuz Strait, and by the way, pipelines are being built right now,” he said, referencing new pipelines through Syria he claims will make the Strait of Hormuz less essential.
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