Donald Trump has gushed about his friendly relationship with Xi Jinping after writing a letter to the Chinese president about Beijing possibly selling arms to Iran.
“He’s somebody I get along with very well, just wrote me a beautiful letter,” Trump told Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo.
“He had responded to a letter I wrote, because I had heard China is giving weapons to… I mean, you’re seeing it all over the place, to Iran, that China is giving weapons… and I wrote him a letter, asking him not to do that, and he wrote me a letter saying, essentially, he’s not doing that,” the president said.
In a Truth Social post after the interview aired, Trump said he would share a “big, fat, hug” with Xi when he meets the Chinese president for a summit next month.
“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. 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!”
He added, “Doesn’t that beat fighting??? BUT REMEMBER, we are very good at fighting, if we have to - far better than anyone else!!! President DJT.”
Trump has threatened to impose 50 percent tariffs on goods from countries arming Tehran. Beijing, however, has denied reports it was planning to provide weapons and military technology to the regime, amid its war with the U.S. and Israel.
Although China does not typically supply Iran with finished weapons, Chinese companies have provided dual-use components—such as microelectronics, chemicals, and drone parts—that are incorporated into Iran’s missile and UAV programs.
For example, semiconductors used in consumer electronics can also be used in guidance systems, while aerospace components sold through intermediaries have been linked to Iranian drone production.
“Look, China’s China. They’re never easy, but we’re doing great with China. I’m the toughest person in China, anywhere in the world,” Trump told Bartiromo.
His comments come after the war pushed back a planned Beijing visit, originally slated for March 31 to April 2 and now reset for May 14 to 15.
It also comes at a time when Xi has made Beijing’s stance on the war clear. On Tuesday, he broke his silence and made his first public statement on the conflict. He told Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez that “the international order is crumbling into disarray.”
Trump has long touted a solid relationship with Xi, but the Iran war is adding strain, not least because of the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. China is the largest customer for Iranian oil, relying on the Strait to get its fill.
Trump does not think this affects the Beijing talks. “I don’t think it does. I mean, he’s somebody that needs oil. We don’t,” Trump said.
However, Hao Nan, a research fellow at the Charhar Institute, a Chinese foreign policy and international relations think tank, said that Trump’s leverage has been weakened by a debilitating double-whammy. Firstly, the Supreme Court’s February ruling that Trump does not have the power to unilaterally impose tariffs has taken away a powerful weapon.
“China is no longer negotiating under the shadow of an unconstrained presidential tariff hammer. That changes the texture of the pre-summit bargaining,” Nan said.
Secondly, the Iran war has stretched Washington’s attention, giving Beijing the time to “shape the atmosphere before Trump arrives.”
