Trump: Xi Pledges No Military Equipment to Iran in Beijing Talks

President Donald Trump said Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged not to provide military equipment to Iran, a key issue in their high-stakes meeting in Beijing.

Xi "said he's not going to give military equipment. That's a big statement. He said that today. That's a big statement. (He) said that strongly," Trump told Fox News host Sean Hannity on Thursday.

The pledge emerged as the Trump administration has portrayed China as a key enabler of adversarial regimes. U.S. officials have accused Beijing of bolstering Iran's military and economy through oil purchases, dual-use exports and intermediary networks.

Trump added that Xi offered to help end the conflict. "He said, if I can be of any help at all, I would like to be of help," Trump said.

The White House and Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.

Trump noted Xi's interest in keeping Iranian oil purchases while wanting the Strait of Hormuz opened. "But at the same time, he said, you know, they buy a lot of their oil there, and they'd like to keep doing that. He'd like to see Hormuz Strait opened," Trump said. "I said, well, we didn't stop it. They did it."

China buys $31 billion to $32 billion of Iranian crude annually, according to Reuters. Beijing ordered firms in May to ignore U.S. sanctions on Iranian oil. China's Commerce Ministry invoked a 2021 blocking statute ahead of the summit, barring companies from complying with illegitimate foreign sanctions. The order targeted Chinese refiners, including teapot refineries, accused by the U.S. of buying Iranian crude.

Trump said Xi disliked tolls in the Strait of Hormuz. "He didn't like the fact that they're charging tolls," Trump said. "I don't know if they are or not. I don't know who would pay him. I mean, where do they put the money to come to countries decimated, you know, they're charging tolls where's the money going."

Trump predicted China would buy U.S. oil by the trip's end. "They're going to go to Texas. We're going to start sending Chinese ships to Texas and to Louisiana and to Alaska. And I think that was another thing that was agreed to it. That's a big thing," he said.

The leaders held a bilateral tea meeting Friday morning local time at the Zhongnanhai compound in Beijing, their final session before Trump's return to the White House.