The US meets The Great Wall of China ..
and reels back dazed, bloody and confused.
It is now a big task to figure out where and how the US reports issues that were true before their visit, as if these issues are a result of the visit. They have nothing to report for their domestic audience and seemingly they are making it up as they go, faster and faster.
Bessent announces that China will help open the Strait of Hormuz as if the US in their negotiations managed to get this as a concession from China. Yet, China has consistently said that they they want the Strait of Hormuz open, and even proposed a 4 point plan to end the war. The US announces that China does not want the Iranian toll booth. But, China never said so and their ships pass without a hitch. So, this gets added on to announcements that China wants the Strait open, as if the US secured a concession of some kind. Prof Wolff discusses this in his first comment on Dialogue Works today and his language is rich: childish junk, made for naive people.
The final one from Bessent is a ‘Trust Me Bro’ doozy: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC that China “will be working behind the scenes” to help restore access to the strait. Subtext: We’ve done it, but you won’t see it.
The Chinese Spokesperson Guo Jiakun received a question as part of the regular press conference yesterday:
AFP: Delegations from China and the United States held trade talks in South Korea today. Can the foreign ministry share any details on what was discussed ahead of Donald Trump’s visit here?
Guo Jiakun: I would refer you to the competent authorities for information about the China-U.S. trade talks.
There is no word of any trade discussions in China’s Trade and Commerce Ministry. There were discussions, but seemingly MofCom does not consider them worthy of publishing, at least so far: https://english.mofcom.gov.cn/
Trump’s delegation secured an order for Boeing for the purchase of 200 airplanes, it is said. Yet so far, there is no announcement from China, so, we have to take this as ‘vaporware’.
Rubio, rechristened: Make no mistake—the toxic “Senator Rubio” is still banned in China! Only the compliant “Secretary Lu” was granted the honor of breathing Beijing’s air. China wrote down (translated is more correct) his name as Marco Lu, to get a temporary workaround on their own sanctions. Of course, Secretary Lu does not exist, so whatever he said is gone with the wind. And Secretary Lu did say something: “US policy on Taiwan is unchanged as of today’ — Senator Lu. “It was raised — we make clear our position — we move on to other topics. We know where they stand… and I think they know where we stand”. Yet when Trump was questioned on Taiwan by a journalist, he turned his back and walked away and the word Taiwan did not pass his lips.
To Fox news, Trump rambled: “He said he’s not gonna give military equipment (to Iran). That’s a big statement,” Trump told Fox News. He added that China wanted the Strait of Hormuz to remain open because it imports oil from the region. “He said they buy a lot of their oil there, and they’d like to keep doing that.” Well, duh.
Prof Marandi states again: “The trip to China offered Trump no leverage on Iran. He arrived with few cards and, predictably, left empty-handed.”
The general media is scathingly sarcastic on these US announcements that it creates a further problem. What is real and what is sarcasm? So far, it was all performative and the performance failed on its opening night.
The cherry on this cake is when Trump in an action of massive ‘cope’, decided to tell everyone what Xi Jinping actually meant. (He actually meant Biden!).
And then Fox News tells us that China loves American food – Lasagna at Starbucks. “Once you get ’em hooked on American Fast Food, it is over. We can pretty much do what we want.”
The Trump media circus started before the 2nd meeting with Xi Jinping at Zhongnanhai. According to Trump, this is now the G2 and he firmly hitched his wagon to China. Every sentence started with WE, begging for some praise from Xi Jinping and putting words in his mouth. “WE feel very similar on Iran. WE want that to end. WE don’t want them to have a nuclear weapon. WE want the Strait to stay open. ‘Xi likes idea of buying US oil. I think it’ll happen. That’s a BIG DEAL’.
Xi Jinping at Zhongnanhai historic garden: ‘I chose this place to reciprocate the hospitality extended to me in 2017 at Mar-a-Lago’. Hard diplomacy! Hospitality reciprocated and that is all.
In the background a few off-time base notes: “Trump didn’t ask Xi for anything. We’re not asking for China’s help. We don’t need their help” – Rubio aka Secretary Lu.
China immediately called in their spokespeople, to correct the attempt at media circus and balance the picture against Trump’s effort at a comeback after the failed production, via his media.
Q: It is reported that during President Trump’s visit to China, the two presidents exchanged views on major international and regional issues, including the situation in the Middle East. Did the two sides talk about Iran? What is China’s view on the current Iran situation?
A:… pic.twitter.com/XjWtt7Rt43
— CHINA MFA Spokesperson 中国外交部发言人 (@MFA_China) May 15, 2026
Q: It is reported that during President Trump’s visit to China, the two presidents exchanged views on major international and regional issues, including the situation in the Middle East. Did the two sides talk about Iran? What is China’s view on the current Iran situation?
A: China’s position on the Iran situation is very clear. The conflict has inflicted severe losses on the people in Iran and other regional countries. With the spillover still expanding, the 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. There is no point in continuing this conflict which should not have happened in the first place. To find an early way to resolve the situation is in the interest of not only the U.S. and Iran, but also regional countries and the rest of the world.
The recent U.S.-Iran ceasefire and effort to explore resolving issues through negotiation is welcomed by regional countries and the international community. China always believes that dialogue and negotiation is the right way forward, and the use of force is a dead end. Now that the door of dialogue has been opened, it should not be shut again. It 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. It is important to reopen the shipping lanes as soon as possible to respond to the call of the international community and jointly keep the global supply chains stable and unimpeded. It is important to reach a comprehensive and lasting ceasefire as soon as possible, enable peace and stability to return to the Middle East and Gulf region at an early date, and lay the foundation for building a sustainable security architecture for the region.
Since the conflict began, China has been working for an end to the conflict and peace. President Xi Jinping put forward the four propositions on safeguarding and promoting peace and stability in the Middle East. China and Pakistan issued the five-point initiative for restoring peace and stability in the Gulf and Middle East region. China will continue to act in line with President Xi Jinping’s four propositions, and work with the international community to provide stronger support for peace talks and play a constructive role in achieving lasting peace in the Middle East.