‘The United States is undermining itself’: China disregards Trump’s Hormuz request as the Iran war intensifies and his Beijing trip is postponed

(SeaPRwire) –   China has declined to assist the United States in reopening the Strait of Hormuz as President Donald Trump requested, but analysts say it likely views the delay of Trump’s much-awaited Beijing trip favorably, given the U.S. risk of getting stuck in the Middle East.

These latest events are unfolding as Trump’s Iran war—now in its third week—faces growing pressure: oil flow through the strait has halted, and U.S. allies have refused to step up to secure it. This has raised concerns that China, America’s top geopolitical rival, could benefit from a conflict some describe as ill-considered.

“President Trump’s request to delay his long-awaited summit with President Xi Jinping underscores how significantly he underestimated the fallout from Operation Epic Fury,” said Ali Wyne, senior research and advocacy adviser for U.S.-China relations at the International Crisis Group. “A show of U.S. force intended to intimidate Beijing has instead punctured the illusion of U.S. omnipotence: Unable to reopen the Strait of Hormuz alone, Washington now needs its principal strategic competitor to help manage a crisis of its own making.”

When asked if it would help reopen the strait, the Chinese Foreign Ministry gave a noncommittal response but repeated its call for “parties to immediately stop military operations, avoid further escalation of the tense situation and prevent regional turmoil from further impacting the global economy.”

Beijing—never having officially confirmed Trump’s state visit, originally scheduled for March 31—has signaled willingness to work with the U.S. on rescheduling by stating the two sides “remain in communication.” It even helped clarify that the postponement had nothing to do with Trump’s request for China to assist in reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

On Tuesday, Trump said the Chinese “were fine” with the delay and claimed “a very good working relationship with China.”

Sun Yun, director of the Stimson Center’s China program, said, “I think the Iran request is now going to be less pressing for China to fulfill.” At the same time, Chinese diplomats have been engaging with Middle Eastern countries, pledging a constructive role in easing tensions and restoring peace.

On Sunday, via the Red Cross and Red Crescent, Beijing delivered a $200,000 emergency humanitarian aid package to Iran, earmarked for families of children and teachers killed in the bombing of the Shajarah Tayyebeh Elementary School in Minab, Iran. The Chinese ambassador to Iran condemned the school attack.

State visit delayed

Brett Fetterly, a managing principal in The Asia Group’s China practice (a Washington-based consultancy), said both the Trump administration and China welcome the state visit delay.

“I think the political environment makes it difficult for the United States to have its commander in chief travel abroad while managing military operations,” Fetterly said. “On the Chinese side, playing for more time doesn’t hurt—it helps better understand what exactly President Trump might want.”

Fetterly noted that a recent Paris trade talk between the two governments appeared to yield little agreement and highlighted ongoing difficulties in addressing structural differences in trade, technology and economic security. “At the end of the day, both sides really needed time to define the range of deliverables,” he said.

The U.S. business community has also expressed concern that summit preparations might not have been sufficient to produce substantive agreements.

Pivot away from Asia

The transfer of military assets from the Indo-Pacific region to the Middle East—including a sizable number of Marines deployed there as part of a rapid-response unit and an anti-missile defense system—has raised concerns that the U.S. could be distracted from its stated priority of refocusing on Asia.

“The longer this war continues, and the more forces shifted out of Asia, the more it will fuel Asian allies’ concerns about U.S. distraction and resource constraints,” said Zack Cooper, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, where he studies U.S. strategy in Asia.

He added that a state visit delay could also mean a delay in any arms sales to self-governing Taiwan—intended to deter attacks from Beijing. China has vowed to take Taiwan by force if necessary, but the U.S. is obligated by law to provide the island with sufficient defense hardware. The issue remains the thorniest in U.S.-China relations.

“I believe China is happy to delay the visit and reap the benefits as the United States once again gets bogged down in the Middle East,” Cooper said.

Beijing probably doesn’t need to do much, he added: “I think most Chinese experts and officials believe the United States is undermining itself, so they just need to get out of the way.”