President Trump told Fox Business’ “Mornings With Maria” that he warned China against providing Iran with weapons. Chinese President Xi Jinping claimed that was “not doing that.”
“He responded to a letter that I wrote because I had heard that China is giving weapons to — I mean, you’re seeing it all over the place — to Iran,” Trump told Maria Bartiromo. “And I wrote him a letter asking him not to do that, and he wrote me a letter saying that essentially he’s not doing that.”
Trump wrote on Truth Social Wednesday morning that China is “very happy” with Trump’s plan for the Strait of Hormuz.
“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,” Trump wrote. “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! Doesn’t that beat fighting??? BUT REMEMBER, we are very good at fighting, if we have to – far better than anyone else!!!”
Trump’s comments to Bartiromo come as he issued a threat to Beijing on Sunday, warning that if China supplies Iran with air defense weapons, China will have “big problems.”
U.S. intelligence assessments indicate China may be preparing to send man-portable air defense systems, known as MANPADS, to Tehran. The shoulder-fired, heat-seeking missiles are designed to target low-flying aircraft. Officials caution the intelligence is not definitive, and there is no confirmed evidence the weapons have been used against U.S. or Israeli forces.
