President Donald Trump’s request for a delay to his summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping is a likely welcome development for Beijing, even as it threatens to inject new uncertainty into ties between the world’s two largest economies.
As the war against Iran rages into its third week, Trump said Monday it was important for him to remain in Washington to oversee the military operations and that he’s seeking to put off the high-profile meeting — currently scheduled for later in March — for about a month. Earlier, the US president linked the prospect of delaying the trip to China to Beijing’s willingness to help secure the Strait of Hormuz, a key artery for global shipping that’s been all but blocked by Iran.
