Trump seeks to delay meeting with Xi in China

<h1>Trump seeks to delay China summit due to Iran war</h1>
<p>US President Donald Trump said on Monday that he is planning to delay a high stakes visit to China later in March by about a month because of the Iran war.</p>
<p>"We've requested that we delay it a month or so," he told reporters at the White House, adding that it was important that he remained available to oversee the war.</p>
<p>The meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping is currently set to take place between 31 March to 2 April, following their <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crl25xl1gjpo">last face to face talks in October last year</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cgk2lm5znyro">The Iran war</a> has eclipsed most of Trump's other foreign policy priorities, faced with an intensifying conflict and disruptions to the global oil supply, which has threatened to raise prices in the US.</p>
<p>The BBC has contacted the Chinese embassy in Washington for comment.</p>
<p>Trump said he had proposed the delay solely to make sure he was around to manage the war.</p>
<p>"I'm looking forward to being with him," he said, referring to Xi. "We have a very good relationship."</p>
<p>"There's no tricks to it either," Trump added. "It's very simple. We've got a war going on. I think it's important that I be here."</p>
<p>The latest development comes a day after Trump told the Financial Times that he might postpone the meeting if China did not help unblock the Strait of Hormuz - a critical waterway for the Gulf's energy shipments.</p>
<p>He also called on other nations to help ships transit safely through the channel.</p>
<p>Representatives from the US and China have met in Paris in recent days for negotiations, such as over investments, tariffs and economic sanctions between the countries.</p>