For weeks leading up to United States President Donald Trump\u2019s visit to Beijing, his administration has been pressing China to lean on Iran amid negotiations aimed at reaching a peace deal between Washington and Tehran.<\/p>\n
Yet as Trump departed from Beijing on Friday afternoon on board Air Force One after a little more than 40 hours in the Chinese capital<\/a> and a series of meetings with President Xi Jinping, there was little evidence that the world\u2019s two most powerful nations had forged any agreement on how to end the war on Iran.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, the war itself is now in its 77th day.<\/p>\n Here is what both sides said on the war during the Trump-Xi summit, how they differed, and where that leaves efforts to end the conflict in the Middle East.<\/p>\n The big picture: What did China say about the war?<\/p>\n The war on Iran began on February 28 when the\u00a0US and Israel launched strikes<\/a> on Iran amid talks between Washington and Tehran over Iran\u2019s nuclear programme. Iran hit back the same day with missile and drone attacks across the region, including targets in Israel as well as US military assets in Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.<\/p>\n The Trump administration has insisted that the war was justified, and aimed at preventing Iran from securing a nuclear weapon \u2014 even though Tehran has repeatedly publicly said that it has no intention of building one.<\/p>\n But China, which has previously also condemned the war, doubled down on its opposition to the conflict, in a statement issued while Trump was in Beijing.<\/p>\n \u201cChina\u2019s position on the Iran situation is very clear. The conflict has inflicted severe losses on the people in Iran and other regional countries,\u201d said the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement posted on its X account.<\/p>\n More than 3,000 Iranians have been killed over the course of the war, according to government figures.<\/p>\n \u201cTo find an early way to resolve the situation is in the interest of not only the US and Iran, but also regional countries and the rest of the world,\u201d the Chinese statement said.<\/p>\n The statement added that China welcomes ongoing ceasefire efforts \u2014 which Pakistan is mediating \u2014 and believes that dialogue is the way forward. \u201cIt is important to reach a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire as soon as possible,\u201d the statement added.<\/p>\n It pointed to a four\u2011point plan for Middle East peace and stability that Xi had earlier pitched, calling for peaceful coexistence, politically negotiated settlements, shared security and development\u2011driven cooperation. It added that China will continue to act in line with this plan.<\/p>\n What did each side say about the Strait of Hormuz?<\/p>\n The White House said in a statement, posted to its X account on Thursday: \u201cThe two sides agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to support the free flow of energy.\u201d<\/p>\n Since early March, Iran has restricted shipping through the strait, a narrow waterway linking Gulf oil producers to the open ocean and through which 20 percent of the world\u2019s oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) supplies were shipped before the war. Iran has allowed passage by vessels from select countries, but they are required to negotiate transit with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).<\/p>\n In its previous proposals to end the war, Iran has proposed charging fees or tolls for vessels seeking to pass through the state. Washington has repeatedly rejected the prospect. In April, the US announced a naval blockade<\/a> on ships entering or leaving Iranian ports, further adding to the disruption of global oil and gas supplies.<\/p>\n The White House statement added: \u201cPresident Xi also made clear China\u2019s opposition to the militarisation of the Strait and any effort to charge a toll for its use, and he expressed interest in purchasing more American oil to reduce China\u2019s dependence on the Strait in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n The Chinese Foreign Ministry acknowledged, in its statement, that \u201cthe conflict has put a heavy strain on global economic growth, supply chains, international trade order and the stability of global energy supply, which hurts the common interests of the international community\u201d.<\/p>\n But the Chinese statement makes no reference to Iranian tolls or the militarisation of the strait.<\/p>\n The Trump-Xi meeting came amid a global energy crisis triggered by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz<\/a>. China is one of the countries which rely heavily on Gulf oil shipped through the strait, and it is a major buyer of Iranian oil.<\/p>\n What did they say about Iran\u2019s nuclear programme?<\/p>\n \u201cBoth countries agreed that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon,\u201d the White House said in its statement.<\/p>\n The Chinese statement does not explicitly mention that Iran should never have a nuclear weapon. Instead, it says: \u201cIt is important to steady the momentum in easing the situation, keep to the direction of political settlement, engage in dialogue and consultation, and reach a settlement on the Iranian nuclear issue and other issues that accommodates the concerns of all parties.\u201d<\/p>\n Iran has never officially declared an intention to seek nuclear weapons, and China had previously worked with the US, European nations and Russia in securing the Barack Obama-era nuclear deal with Iran, aimed at capping Tehran\u2019s nuclear programme. Iran<\/a>\u00a0is believed to have about 440kg (970lb) of\u00a0uranium enriched to 60 percent<\/a>. A 90 percent threshold of enriched uranium is needed to produce a nuclear weapon.<\/p>\n What does this mean?<\/p>\n The statements issued by both sides indicate that, in essence, neither side has budged from their original positions on Iran. China has made it clear that it will stick to Xi\u2019s four-point plan, while the US has reiterated its opposition to Iran\u2019s nuclear programme.<\/p>\n That\u2019s not what the US wanted, public statements by its leaders suggest.<\/p>\n After pushing China for weeks to take on a more active role in convincing Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz, Trump administration officials had \u2014 in the immediate lead-up to the summit \u2014 said they didn\u2019t need Beijing\u2019s help.<\/p>\n