U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping [Yonhap News]

President Donald Trump on the 15th (local time) repeatedly urged China to cooperate in securing safety in the Strait of Hormuz, even mentioning the possibility of postponing the US-China summit scheduled for late this month or early next month.

In a phone interview with the British Financial Times (FT) on the same day, Trump argued that "China must help as it obtains 90% of its oil through this strait (Strait of Hormuz)," demanding China's participation in operations to escort vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

He added, concerning the US-China summit, which is about two weeks away, "Two weeks is a long time," and "it could be postponed," suggesting that the schedule might be delayed if China does not respond regarding its participation in escorting through the Strait of Hormuz before the summit.

However, President Trump did not specify how long the US-China summit might be postponed.

The remarks on this day were reported shortly after U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant met with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Paris to coordinate the agenda for the summit between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The FT reported that although China imports a large amount of oil from Iran, it has not yet shown any intention to postpone the summit with the U.S. since the war with Iran began.

President Trump also provided further explanation on his previous day's statement on Truth Social, where he mentioned five countries, including South Korea, China, Japan, the UK, and France, and effectively demanded the dispatch of warships to the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial route for global energy transportation.

He emphasized, "Those who benefit from the Strait of Hormuz should help to prevent bad things from happening there."

U.S. President Donald Trump [AFP=Yonhap News]

He then warned, referencing the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), "If there is no response or a negative reaction, it will have a very bad impact on the future of NATO."

He stated, "We did not need to help them with the Ukraine issue," and "But we helped them. Now we will see if they help us."

When asked specifically what kind of help NATO should provide, President Trump replied, "Anything," without giving a concrete answer.

In this regard, the FT reported that Trump said allies should send more mine-sweeping vessels, explaining that Europe possesses significantly more mine-sweeping vessels than the United States.

Furthermore, the FT reported that President Trump conveyed his desire for "people who can stop the bad guys operating along the coast (of Iran)," indicating the need for European special forces and other military support.

Trump said, "They (Iran) have nothing left but to create some trouble in the strait," adding, "But it takes a lot of people to watch a few."

He also directly expressed his dissatisfaction with the reaction of British Prime Minister Keir Starmer after the war with Iran began. The leaders of the two countries had a phone conversation regarding the situation in the Middle East on this day.

Trump criticized, "The UK might be considered the primary ally and the country that has been with (the U.S.) for the longest time, but when I asked them to come, they didn't want to come. As soon as we essentially eliminated Iran's threat capabilities, they said, 'Then we'll send two ships.'"

He added, "I said I need ships before victory, not after victory."

When asked whether Russia is providing satellite data to Iran in this war, he replied, "I don't know."