U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent briefs reporters with U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on March 16, 2026, in Paris, France, following two days of talks with a Chinese delegation. [Reuters/Abdul Saboor]

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on the 16th (local time) that he might postpone his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping scheduled for the end of this month in Beijing if President Donald Trump wishes to remain in Washington to coordinate the war with Iran. 

Bessent stated, "If the meeting is postponed, the false claim that it is because the president demanded China maintain security in the Strait of Hormuz is spreading," adding, "That is completely false. If the meeting is rescheduled for any reason, it will be because of logistical issues." 

Bessent said that if there were any changes to President Trump's schedule for visiting China, it would be "because the president wants to remain in Washington D.C. to coordinate war efforts, and a tour abroad at a time like this may not be the optimal choice."

These remarks came shortly after Bessent, along with Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, concluded two days of talks with top Chinese economic officials at the headquarters of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) in Paris.

Bessent described the talks as "very good" and reaffirmed the stability of relations between Washington and Beijing. 

However, he was non-committal when asked if President Trump's visit to China would proceed as planned, saying, "We will see if the visit goes as planned." 

White House spokesperson Caroline Levitt stated at a White House briefing on Monday, "Dates can change," and added, "As Commander-in-Chief, his top priority now is to ensure the continued success of Operation 'Epic Fury'." 

President Trump himself also indicated in an interview with the Financial Times on the 15th (Sunday) that he "might postpone" his meeting with President Xi Jinping, urging Beijing to help keep the Strait of Hormuz open.

In the interview, he added, "It is natural for those who benefit from the strait to help prevent bad things from happening there," and he believes China should help because it obtains oil from the region.

President Trump added that he wanted to know China's stance on the issue before his visit to Beijing and that waiting until the summit, which the White House announced would start on March 31st, would be too late.

The U.S.-China summit was originally scheduled to be held in Beijing from March 31st to April 2nd.

Li Chenggang, China's chief trade negotiator, described the talks held at the OECD headquarters in Paris as "in-depth, candid, and constructive consultations," and stated that both sides agreed to maintain the stability of tariff levels between the two countries. 

Spokesperson Greer stated that both sides agreed on the general conditions of a "work plan" to prepare agreements for consideration when President Trump and President Xi meet. 

This includes expanding U.S. agricultural and energy product exports and establishing a formal mechanism to manage trade with China, which he said could be called the U.S.-China Trade Commission.

This organization will help identify "what items we should import from China and what items we should export to China," allowing us to focus on mutually beneficial areas.

Reuters first reported late Sunday that both sides had agreed on the broad framework of an investment mechanism and had also agreed to establish a more concrete form of an "investment committee" to resolve investment issues.

When asked about President Trump's remarks at a regular press briefing in Beijing on March 16th, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian avoided a direct response regarding support for keeping the strait open. Instead, he emphasized the importance of high-level communication between the two countries.

Lin stated, "Diplomacy between heads of state serves as an indispensable strategic guide for U.S.-China relations," adding, "Both sides are continuously communicating regarding President Trump's visit to China." 

Meanwhile, Lin stated that sanctions against Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who was banned from entering China by Beijing for critical remarks about the Chinese regime's human rights record in 2020, are no longer in effect. 

Rubio was sanctioned for his remarks concerning China during his tenure as senator, but he is reportedly accompanying President Trump on his visit to China this time. 

President Trump and President Xi may meet up to four times this year. It is also possible that President Xi will visit the U.S., and it is highly likely that the two leaders will meet at the APEC summit hosted by China in November and the G20 summit hosted by the U.S. in December.

By Sung Ku Hong, Editor-in-Chief, U.S. NNP / Special Correspondent NNP info@newsandpost.com