White House says US and China have agreed that 'Iran can never have nuclear weapon'

• President Trump and President Xi agreed that the Straight of Hormuz must be reopened.

• Both leaders agreed that Iran cannot have nuclear weapons.

• Trump extended an invitation to Xi to visit the US later in 2026.

In a post shared on the official White House X account, the leaders of both countries agreed that Iran cannot have nuclear weapons and that the Strait of Hormuz needs to be unconditionally opened.

"The two sides agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to support the free flow of energy. President Xi also made clear China's opposition to the militarisation of the Strait and any effort to charge a toll for its use, and he expressed interest in purchasing more American oil to reduce China's dependence on the Strait in the future.

Both countries agreed that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon"

President Trump's visit to China is a historic one, as it's the first in a decade in which both nations have been locked in trade conflict. The agreement over the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and opposition to Iran's nuclear enrichment program marks a major milestone in the partnership between the US and China, who, before the meeting, had not been aligned on the conflict in Iran.

In March 2026, the US Navy seized an Iranian-flagged vessel en route from Beijing, which was reported to have been carrying chemicals used in making rockets. The seizure escalated tension between both countries, with China warning the US not to meddle in its affairs. Since the US and Israel kicked off military action against Iran, tension has risen in the region, with Iran first blocking the free passage of ships in the Strait of Hormuz, which led to a shortage in the global supply of crude oil and a corresponding price increase.

The US, which led initial efforts to reopen the Strait, has since led a blockade of its own in a bid to stop Iran from selling its crude oil and also receiving military shipments. In response, Iran banned US and Israel-related vessels from accessing the Strait while demanding a toll from other vessels.

America and Iran have been locked in a months-long dialogue to end the dispute. The dialogue facilitated by Pakistan is being led by Vice President JD Vance on the US side and President Masoud Pezeshkian of Iran.

Although both nations have shared their readiness to enter a deal, they have not yet agreed on key details, with the US demanding that Iran hand over all weaponised nuclear enrichment facilities while Iran said it would rather hand them over to a third party like Russia. Iran is also demanding tens of billions of dollars in damages for the bombing of its key infrastructures.

Trump's two-day visit to China has made headlines as it's expected to generate tens of billions in trade deals between both country. The President was accompanied on the trip alongside some of the CEOs of America's most valuable companies, including Elon Musk of Tesla and SpaceX, Tim Cook of Apple, Larry Fink of BlackRock, Brian Sikes of Cargill, Kelly Ortberg of Boeing, and Nvidia's Jensen Huang, Jane Fraser of Citi, David Solomon of Goldman Sachs, Ryan McInerney of Visa, Dina Powell McCormick of Meta, among other top executives.

While speaking at the State Banquet, President Trump thanked President Xi for the hospitality and spoke optimistically about the long-term relationship between both countries before inviting the Chinese leader to visit America.