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WH: China Pledged No Material Support for Iran

President Donald Trump secured a commitment from Chinese President Xi Jinping during last week’s Beijing summit that Beijing would not provide “material support” to Tehran amid heightened tensions in the Middle East and concerns over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer told ABC News’ “This Week” on Sunday.

Greer said Trump’s focus during the summit was preventing Beijing from aiding Iran rather than seeking China’s involvement in reopening the strategic waterway.

“When the president went in, he did not go in asking them to take action in the Straits of Hormuz,” Greer said. “He was very focused on making sure that they didn’t provide material support to Iran. That’s a commitment he obtained and confirmed.”

The Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping route for global oil supplies, has remained under close international scrutiny amid escalating regional instability and threats to commercial navigation.

Greer said Chinese officials acknowledged during the meetings that Beijing has a strong economic interest in keeping the strait open, though he stopped short of suggesting China would directly pressure Iran.

“The president isn’t seeking to have joint military operations with the Chinese. I don’t think the American presidents have ever done that,” Greer said. “But obviously, we want to make sure that they’re not getting in the way of anything we’re doing to try to clarify that situation.”

Trump returned to Washington on Friday after a two-day summit in Beijing with Xi that produced few publicly announced agreements but underscored ongoing tensions over Taiwan, trade, and global security issues, according to ABC News.

The trip drew criticism after Trump appeared to leave open the possibility of delaying or reconsidering a previously approved U.S. arms sale to Taiwan, saying he may do it or he may not.

Greer insisted Sunday that longstanding U.S. policy toward Taiwan remains unchanged.

“The most important thing that needs to happen is we need to have no change in the status quo in the Taiwan Straits, and the president was really clear about this: There’s no change in American policy on Taiwan,” Greer said. “We expect that situation to be stable, and if President Xi is going to change that, then, obviously, that’s something that would be taken into account.”

On the arms package, which Congress has already pre-approved, Greer said the final decision rests with Trump.

“The president will keep his own counsel on the arms sales, and when and if that happens,” he said.

Chinese state media reported that Xi warned Trump during the summit that mishandling the Taiwan issue could bring the U.S. and China into conflict. Xi reportedly said relations could remain stable if the issue were handled “properly.”

Greer also disputed suggestions that trade issues were sidelined during the summit after Trump told reporters tariffs did not come up in his direct discussions with Xi.

According to Greer, negotiations over tariffs and market access took place at lower levels before the leaders met.

“Before the leaders meet, people like me and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and our staff, we meet with our counterparts on the Chinese side, and we work out among ourselves a lot of issues, so that the presidents don’t have to address it,” Greer said.

He added that the administration is considering establishing a new “Board of Trade” with China to negotiate sector-specific trade arrangements.

“We’re gonna have conversations with the Chinese about stuff we should be selling them — agriculture and Boeing and medical devices — and the kinds of things we want to be getting from them,” Greer said.

Greer also pointed to what he described as concrete outcomes from the summit, including China’s agreement to resume imports from several U.S. meat-exporting facilities, review biotechnology trade approvals, and purchase 200 Boeing aircraft. China has not publicly confirmed those agreements.

Asked about criticism that Trump returned from Beijing without major accomplishments, Greer said the administration plans to release a fact sheet detailing agreements reached during the trip.

“So there are a variety of very concrete things that are already happening,” he said. “And most importantly, as the president has said, we have strategic stability with China.”


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