Trump has achieved almost nothing in China, including Iran — CNN

Many expected that US President Donald Trump would get China's leader Xi Jinping to help end the war with Iran. However, the negotiations did not change Beijing's position. As a result, the head of the State Department, Marco Rubio, had to cover for the boss, assuring the media that the Americans did not ask for anything from Beijing, CNN notes.

China is a close partner of Iran in the field of diplomacy and the main buyer of Iranian oil. In addition, throughout the hostilities, he presents himself as a supporter of peace. However, the transcripts of both sides indicate that the negotiations did not change Beijing's position in any way.

After the first round of talks with Xi on Thursday Trump told Fox News that the Chinese leader offered assistance in resolving the conflict. However, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, giving an interview to NBC News on the same day, said that the United States did not turn to China for help.

The transcript of the talks published by the White House indicates that the parties agreed on the following: the Strait of Hormuz, which is the most important waterway almost completely blocked by Iran, should remain open, and Iran cannot be the owner of nuclear weapons.

The White House report also says that Xi "unequivocally opposed the militarization of the strait and any attempts to charge for its use." There was also the idea that China would buy more oil from the United States.

Beijing has repeatedly promised to do everything possible to facilitate peace talks, and Xi last month called for "normal passage through the Strait of Hormuz." In the statement of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the discussions on Iran held during the talks, there is no mention of payment for passage through the strait.

Trump, meanwhile, seemed to acknowledge that there is a certain limit to the pressure he can exert on Beijing wants to convince Tehran to agree to the peaceful demands of the United States.

"Look, he's not going there with guns... he's not going there with shooting," Trump told Fox News when asked if Xi would put pressure on the Iranians. "He's behaving very well."

A few hours later, on Friday morning local time, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement implying the immutability of Beijing's position.

"China's position on the situation in Iran is very clear," it says.

It is possible that in the near future an energy deal will be concluded between the United States and China. However, it is still unclear whether the talks between Trump and Xi will have any impact on the conflict.

So far, Beijing seems to be sticking to its current position.