China’s Foreign Ministry said Friday there is “no point” in allowing the U.S. conflict with Iran to continue, as President Donald Trump claimed he and Chinese President Xi Jinping reached broad agreement on several key issues tied to the ongoing war, including keeping the Strait of Hormuz open.
The comments came at the close of a high-stakes, two-day summit in Beijing between the leaders of the world’s two largest powers, where discussions focused heavily on trade, Taiwan, and escalating instability across the Middle East.
“There is no point in continuing this conflict which should not have happened in the first place,” a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry said Friday, while avoiding direct confirmation about whether Iran was specifically discussed during the Trump-Xi meetings.
The spokesperson added that ending the conflict quickly would benefit not only the United States and Iran, but also neighboring countries and the broader international community. China also called for a ceasefire and renewed diplomatic negotiations.
The statement reflected growing global concern over a conflict that has already rattled energy markets and intensified fears about wider regional instability. Even countries seeking to avoid direct involvement are increasingly signaling alarm over the economic and geopolitical consequences of prolonged fighting.
While no formal agreement between Trump and Xi on Iran was immediately announced, Trump has openly pressured China to use its economic leverage over Tehran to help force a settlement. China remains the primary buyer of Iranian oil, purchasing roughly 90 percent of Iran’s exported crude, according to the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. Those purchases generate tens of billions of dollars annually for the Iranian regime.
Speaking to reporters Friday, Trump said the United States and China share similar goals regarding the war.
“We feel very similar,” Trump said, adding that both countries want the conflict to end. “We don’t want them [Iran] to have a nuclear weapon” and “we want the strait open.”
The Strait of Hormuz has become one of the most critical flashpoints in the conflict. The narrow waterway handles roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil supply during peacetime, and disruptions to shipping traffic there have sent global oil prices surging for months.
A White House summary of Trump’s Beijing visit stated that Xi “made clear” China opposes the “militarization of the Strait” as well as any effort to impose tolls on ships passing through the route.
According to the White House readout, Xi also expressed interest in purchasing more American oil in order to reduce China’s long-term dependence on energy shipments traveling through the increasingly unstable waterway.
Trump further claimed Thursday that Xi committed to withholding military equipment from Iran during the conflict. China has previously maintained that it was not supplying Tehran with weapons.
“That’s a big statement,” Trump told Sean Hannity during an interview on Fox News.
“He said that strongly,” Trump added, while also noting Xi acknowledged China still wants to continue buying large amounts of Iranian oil.
The president’s comments highlighted the complicated balancing act facing China, which has economic ties to both the United States and Iran while attempting to avoid becoming directly entangled in the conflict.
Meanwhile, efforts to negotiate a broader settlement between Washington and Tehran appear stalled. Talks on a longer-term agreement to end hostilities have reportedly broken down for now, with both sides rejecting the other’s latest proposals.
As diplomatic efforts struggle and oil markets remain volatile, the statements from Beijing underscored a growing recognition among world powers that even limited regional wars can quickly threaten global economic stability. The longer the conflict drags on, the more pressure appears to be building for leaders to pursue negotiations rather than risk another drawn-out confrontation with unpredictable consequences.
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