US says President Xi interested in buying more American oil, but China silent
China US oil imports emerged as a key discussion point during Xi Jinping’s talks with Donald Trump over energy security and trade tensions.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump meet at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. (AP) Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed interest in buying more US oil in order to reduce Beijing’s dependency on the Strait of Hormuz during talks with President Donald Trump on Thursday, White House stated in a readout of the meeting.
Conflicting reports and official silences
However, there wasn’t any mention of buying oil in the Chinese summary of the meeting published later by Beijing’s state media, Associated Press reported.
Historical import volatility
China, which is the largest importer of oil in the world, doesn’t import much of its crude requirement from the United States. The AP report stated that Beijing’s import of Washington’s oil soared to 395,000 barrels per day in 2020, which was China’s 4 percent of total crude imports.
President Donald Trump participates in a welcome ceremony with China’s President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. (AP Photo)
Before Trump returned to office in 2024, China’s crude import from US fell to 193,000 barrels per day, which was worth $6 billion.
Trade war impacts and current standstill
After the Trump administration imposed a 20 percent import tariff last year during its trade war, China has not imported any US oil since May 2025.
At the state banquet for Trump on Thursday, Xi Jinping said that “China and US should become partners, not rivals.” Jinping added, “We should jointly promote great ship of China-US relations along the right path” and that “We both believe Beijing-Washington ties are the most important bilateral ties in the world.”
China’s warning to US over Taiwan
During Trump’s three day visit to China, Xi Jinping warned the US president that the two global power could clash over Taiwan if the issue isn’t handled properly.
President Xi stressed to President Trump that the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-U.S. relations. If it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability. Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting… pic.twitter.com/gqji6lEfL7
— Mao Ning 毛宁 (@SpoxCHN_MaoNing) May 14, 2026
According to an X post by China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, President Xi told Trump that “the Taiwan question is the most important issue in China-US relations.”
“If it is handled properly, the bilateral relationship will enjoy overall stability. Otherwise, the two countries will have clashes and even conflicts, putting the entire relationship in great jeopardy,” Ning wrote in the post.
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