Donald Trump is teaching the world a lesson, but not the one he thinks. The government in Tehran and the facts of geography that give it leverage over global trade are unchanged. Xi will gladly swerve the diplomatic hazards inherent in hosting an unprepared Trump, made insecure and tetchy by plans gone awry elsewhere. Trump had listed China among the countries he thought might send warships to escort vessels through the strait of Hormuz. But Trump is a slow learner.

Source: The Guardian March 18, 2026 11:30 UTC