A man waves an Iranian flag for a pro-government campaign under a billboard with graphic showing Strait of Hormuz and sewn lips of U.S. President Donald Trump in a square in downtown Tehran, Iran, Wednesday, May 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi)
Expectations grew on May 11 that the deadlock in negotiations between Iran and the United States could be resolved during U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit to China, following a flurry of proposal exchanges and sharp trade barbs between the two sides.
“We hope our Chinese friends will take the opportunity to warn against the consequences of illegal American actions,” said Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei, a day after Tehran rejected a new U.S. proposal.
“We did not demand any concessions. The only thing we demanded was Iran’s legitimate rights,” he also noted.
He said Iran’s demands included “an end to the war in the region,” ending the U.S. naval blockade, and the “release of assets belonging to the Iranian people, which hav.e for years been unjustly trapped in foreign banks.”
Trump said on May 10 he has rejected Iran’s response to a U.S. proposal for ending the war, slamming it as “TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!”
Baqaei also said Tehran has warned European countries against involvement in “a crisis that would certainly bring them no benefit,” referring to the ongoing tensions in the Gulf.
He said “any interference in the Strait of Hormuz would further complicate the situation.”
Trump will visit Beijing between May 13–15, during a three-day trip in which he is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping.
This marks Trump’s first visit to China in in over eight years. His predecessor, Joe Biden, did not visit the country during his presidency. The last high-level U.S. visit to China took place in 2017 during Trump’s first term.
The visit, originally scheduled for March 31–April 2 but postponed due to the U.S. president’s focus on the war in Iran, is expected to include the Middle East conflict as a key agenda item.
Trump has so far not achieved the outcomes he expected from the war launched alongside Israel against Iran. Although there are signs of a tentative ceasefire process, the uncertainty generated by the conflict has not yet eased.
Moreover, disruptions caused by the conflict in the Gulf, particularly around the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global energy trade, continue to be felt worldwide through rising oil prices.
Political observers note that, with active conflict zones in the Middle East and Latin America, Washington is likely to avoid opening a new front of tension in the Asia-Pacific region. As a result, the visit is expected to focus primarily on maintaining the temporary understanding reached with China on trade and economic issues.
