Trump pushes to delay China trip amid Middle East conflict: 'I have to be here'

Trump reiterated during a White House event that he would "love to" go to China, "but because of the war, I want to be here. I have to be here, I feel."

Published: March 16, 2026 6:56pm

President Donald Trump said Monday that he has asked China to delay his official trip to the country by a month amid an ongoing conflict in the Middle East that he feels requires him to stay in the United States.

Israel and the United States waged a conflict against Iran last month in an effort to stop the country from developing a nuclear weapon. Approximately 200 American servicemembers have been wounded in the conflict and 13 have died.

Trump reiterated during a White House event that he would "love to" go to China, "but because of the war, I want to be here. I have to be here, I feel."

"We've requested that we delay it a month or so," he continued. "And I'm looking forward to being with [Chinese President Xi Jinping]."

The request means that the trip would likely take place at the end of April or in early May. The push also comes as the president presses China to help the U.S. reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which would hopefully bring down oil prices.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian has confirmed China and the U.S. are "maintaining communication regarding President Trump's visit to China," but did not indicate whether the country agreed to push the trip, per CBS News. 

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