Will the US-China summit be delayed… "US appears to have put schedule talks on hold due to Iran war"

The administration of US President Donald Trump has reportedly put discussions on the schedule for a US-China summit effectively on hold until the war in Iran is concluded.

US political news outlet Politico reported on the 21st (local time), citing multiple diplomatic sources, that the Trump administration plans to revisit talks on scheduling a meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping only after the Iran war ends.

A diplomat based in Washington said, "A summit schedule will be proposed after the escalation phase of the Iran war is over." A source close to the administration was also reported to have confirmed a similar stance.

The White House, however, maintained a cautious position. Spokesperson Anna Kelly said, "We are engaged in productive discussions regarding President Trump’s trip to China, and an announcement will come soon," pushing back against speculation that the talks had been paused. The Chinese Embassy in the United States also said, "We have no information to provide."

Previously, President Trump had been expected to visit China from the 31st of this month to April 2 for a summit with President Xi. The schedule was postponed after the outbreak of the Iran war. For now, there is talk it could be rescheduled to around mid-May.

Analysts say the delay could also affect trade relations between the two countries. The US and China have been working to mend frictions after agreeing at last year’s summit to cut tariffs, resume soybean imports, and suspend rare-earth export controls.

Experts are divided. Some argue that working-level talks can stabilize relations even without a leaders’ meeting, while others warn that without direct leader-to-leader communication, bilateral ties could become unstable faster than expected.

Lee Song-ryeol, Hankyung.com reporter yisr0203@hankyung.com