Trump-Xi Summit Touches Middle East Crisis as Iran Proposes Seven-Day Truce

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks on the 25th of this month in Washington and at United Nations Headquarters in New York. The two leaders focused not only on trade, technology, and security issues, but also publicly addressed the Middle East conflict for the first time. During the talks, the two leaders acknowledged that the escalating Israeli-Palestinian conflict has spilled over into neighboring countries, creating destabilizing factors for global energy supplies and financial markets, and thus necessitating multilateral cooperation to mitigate the risk of conflict spillover. This move demonstrates that the US and China still maintain a certain degree of coordination in the face of geopolitical crises, despite ongoing friction between the two sides in other areas.

Since October, the Palestinian militant group Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel, triggering a massive Israeli military retaliation that rapidly spread to the Gaza Strip and Israel's northern border. Iran, whose long-standing diplomatic baseline has been the support of Palestinian factions, has condemned Israel's military actions and issued warnings to regional allies through both rhetoric and military posture. This round of conflict has once again caused volatility in the already tense Middle East energy market, pushing oil prices upward while international shipping companies harbor concerns that safe passage for oil tankers in the Persian Gulf could be disrupted.

As the sole maritime passage connecting the Persian Gulf to the Arabian Sea, the Strait of Hormuz handles approximately 20 million barrels of crude oil and massive quantities of liquefied natural gas daily, accounting for roughly one-fifth of the world's seaborne crude oil. Since the 2000s, Iran has repeatedly used military exercises or threats to close the strait as negotiating leverage—particularly amid US sanctions against Iran and deadlocked nuclear agreement negotiations, during which such provocations have occurred more frequently. The security and unimpeded navigation of the strait are directly tied to global energy prices and supply chain stability, and any temporary blockade could trigger violent reactions in international markets.

Facing continuously rising tensions, Iran presented a seven-day plan to the US today, which includes an immediate ceasefire, the cessation of military support for Israel, and the restoration of normal navigation in the Strait of Hormuz within seven days. The Iranian side claimed that this move aims to create a window to de-escalate the region and demonstrate Iran's willingness to take concrete actions for peace. The US government stated that it will carefully evaluate the feasibility of the proposal, emphasizing that any ceasefire agreement must be agreed upon by both Israel and Palestine and must not weaken US security commitments in the Middle East.

If the US accepts Iran's seven-day plan, it is expected to alleviate short-term oil price volatility, restore shipping companies' confidence in Persian Gulf shipping lanes, and buy more time for international diplomatic mediation. However, the success or failure of the plan also depends on Israel's response, Hamas's stance, and the foundation of trust between Iran and the US. More importantly, these talks reveal that the US and China can still maintain communication channels in the face of major international crises; if both sides can cooperate synergistically on energy security and regional stability, it will inject a much-needed buffer into the global political landscape. (Source of facts: Central News Agency)