War in Iran shadows Trump’s China trip as U.S. weighs oil request and possible tech concessions

The war in Iran is set to hang over President Trump’s visit to Beijing next week, as the United States seeks help from Chinese President Xi Jinping to ease gas prices and weighs the possibility of trade-offs on technology restrictions. One option under discussion, according to the account, is for Trump to press China to tap its strategic oil reserves, described as totaling 1.4 billion barrels, to cool prices.

But Xi could seek relief in return, potentially asking Washington to loosen U.S. curbs on advanced chips and other American technology—limits that have frustrated Beijing as the two countries clash over high-end tech. China’s economy is also feeling pressure, with gas prices rising and manufacturing bottlenecks slowing export demand.

Against that backdrop, U.S. technology leaders from companies including NVIDIA, Apple, Exxon, Boeing, Qualcomm, Blackstone, Citigroup, and Visa are being invited to join the trip, Semafor reported.

The White House cautioned that until the business delegation list is finalized, reporting on CEOs invited to China should be treated “as baseless speculation.” Michael Clark, a China expert at the Center for American Progress, predicted Xi would push for easing restrictions on AI chips in exchange for meeting U.S.

oil requests, framing it as a long-term win for Beijing. “We’d be giving China exactly what they need to upgrade their own technology, and in turn military capabilities, using US technology,” he told The Post. “If China can trade a bit of oil, which they can replace with Russian imports, in exchange for permanent know-how and IP, I’d say they would go for it.” Longstanding U.S.

concerns center on China’s efforts to obtain American technology—including AI models and chips—even as U.S. firms eye the Chinese market. NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang has estimated the China market could be worth $50 billion annually. Other friction points persist.

The account said Beijing has ordered its companies to disregard U.S. sanctions targeting Iranian oil. China is Iran’s biggest crude customer, and the Trump administration has pressed Chinese leaders to use their influence in Tehran to help open the critical Strait of Hormuz.

For now, Beijing has been cautious about its involvement in talks around the conflict, watching and waiting as events unfold. Despite tensions, analysts say both sides want to steady the relationship.

“The two sides are pretty invested in not allowing this to destabilize the broader relationship,” Patricia Kim of the Brookings Institute told reporters Thursday, adding that Washington and Beijing both aim to keep a “managed detente.” The trip would mark the first visit to Beijing by a U.S.

president in eight years. It was originally scheduled for April but was delayed because of the war in Iran. From Beijing’s perspective, Trump’s focus on the Middle East has kept American attention and resources away from the Indo-Pacific, which China regards as its sphere of influence.

The conflict has also opened opportunities for China with other Gulf nations, broadening its relationships and the base of countries that could purchase its oil. Xi has met with Abu Dhabi’s crown prince, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and has spoken with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman about the conflict as China works to deepen ties across the Middle East.

China’s priorities for next week’s meeting start with Taiwan, according to the account. Xi wants to redefine Taiwan’s legal status and demand that the United States stop supporting Taiwan independence.

In his New Year’s speech, he vowed to take the island and called reunification “unstoppable.” Whether the visit yields movement on oil, technology restrictions, or Taiwan, both governments appear intent on avoiding a rupture as the Iran conflict continues to reshape the diplomatic agenda.