The Trump Xi meeting could be a pivotal moment to address rising gas prices, according to the chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, who is urging President Donald Trump to press Chinese President Xi Jinping to curtail support for Iran.
Rep. Brian Mast, R-Fla., said China is playing a central role in higher costs for Americans by aiding Iran amid its conflict with the United States, which he said has disrupted global trade by effectively closing the Strait of Hormuz. He argued that securing a commitment from Beijing to stop arming Tehran could help stabilize global crude markets and ease prices at the pump.
“If President Trump can secure that China will stop arming Iran, who is trying to destabilize this key oil route through the globe, then the president will have done something very important for affordability,” Mast said, pointing to global crude prices that translate to U.S. gas costs.
Cost of living concerns are shaping the political debate ahead of November’s midterm elections, with gas prices a major flashpoint as the U.S. war with Iran is cited for driving oil higher.
The national average price for regular gas stands at $4.47 per gallon, up more than 30 cents since Sept. 3, according to AAA data. Mast contended that China is “probably the number one actor” pushing prices up through its backing of Iran and Russia’s war efforts.
Trump Xi meeting puts China’s Iran support in focus
Mast said Trump has an opening on Thursday to press Xi to ease support for Tehran in particular. He accused China of arming Iran for indiscriminate attacks on civilian shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, while the United States works to safeguard commercial traffic and energy supplies in the Gulf.
Over the last two months, Mast said Trump “moved over a billion barrels of oil through the Strait of Hormuz” and facilitated passage for more than 2,000 civilian merchant vessels, while Iran “has moved nothing.” Even so, he warned that markets remain sensitive to perceived instability in the key waterway.
Thursday’s summit will be Trump’s third meeting with Xi this term and marks Xi’s first visit to the United States since Trump returned to the White House last year.
Asked what leverage the president has to press Xi on Iran, Mast pointed to the recently enacted Russia-Iran sanctions legislation named for the late Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. He said China is the primary target of the law and that it could significantly affect trade if Trump opts not to waive certain sanction authorities provided in the measure.
