Trump says China’s Xi is "very happy" Strait of Hormuz is open
President Trump alleged in a social media post late Friday night that Chinese President Xi Jinping is "very happy that the Strait of Hormuz is open and/or rapidly opening."
The president said that his trip to China, scheduled for next month, "will be President Trump special one and, potentially, Historic. I look forward to being with President Xi — Much will be accomplished!"
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi in a phone call Thursday told Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi that "working to resume normal passage of the strait is a unanimous call from the international community."
Almost 20% of China’s oil comes from Iran, and more than half its overall energy supplies come via the Strait of Hormuz.
Mr. Trump’s trip to China, originally scheduled for early April, was delayed to mid-May because of the Iran War.
Mr. Trump’s remarks come after multiple U.S. officials familiar with the matter confirmed to CBS News that U.S. intelligence assessed China was considering whether to provide Tehran with advanced radar systems after the Iran war broke out.
By Faris Tanyos
10:42 PM
G20 members asked U.S. to extend sanctions waiver for Russian oil, source says
G20 member states had requested the new sanctions waiver for seaborne Russian oil that was issued by the Trump administration on Friday, a source familiar with the matter who was not authorized to speak on the record told CBS News — a move designed to ease pressure on oil prices.
Last month, the U.S. issued a license that let countries buy Russian oil that had already been loaded onto ships without facing onerous U.S. sanctions. That measure expired last weekend, and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told reporters Wednesday the administration would not renew it.
But one day later, at a gathering of G20 finance ministers on the sidelines of an International Monetary Fund and World Bank meeting on Thursday, member states asked for an extension, the source said.
The G20 includes several countries that are heavily reliant on Middle Eastern oil and are struggling with high prices and supply constraints due to the war with Iran.
The extension expires in about one month, and it only applies to oil that was seaborne as of Friday morning.
"As negotiations accelerate, Treasury wants to ensure oil is available to those who need it," a Treasury spokesperson said.
Diem ‘Richard’ Nguyen
Liên Minh Bảo Hiến Mỹ Gốc Việt
Vietnamese American Conservative Alliance (VACA)
https://freedom-vaca.org/vaca-blog-tieng-viet-nam/