Iran has continued to ship crude oil via the Strait of Hormuz to China even as the war between U.S.-Israel and Iran has disrupted broader energy supplies via the waterway.

Speaking on the Iran conflict, President Trump said, “We’re doing this for other parts of the world, like China.”

A preference for strategic flexibility has left Beijing dependent on a narrow set of “allies” whose usefulness is limited – especially in times of crisis.

President Donald Trump on Sunday sought to pressure NATO allies and China to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, the critical oil transport conduit that Iran has effectively closed in retaliation for the US and Israeli war against Tehran.

Trump says delay of ‘a month or so’ requested while key official insists move is not to pressure Beijing to help unblock strait of Hormuz; Iraqi officials say drones and rockets attacked embassy

China’s alliance with Tehran is helping its cargoes of crude to clear Hormuz, its economic data are improvig and Xi holds the cards in negotiations with Trump.

China is working to keep an upcoming visit by President Trump on track, even as he subtly challenges Beijing over Iran.

With the Xi-Trump summit now almost certainly delayed, and tensions rising over the war in Iran, vital issues for both the U.S. and China are also being cast into uncertainty.