U.S President Donald Trump said he had written to Chinese President Xi Jinping urging him not to supply weapons to Iran, adding that Xi responded by saying China was not providing arms to Tehran.

Speaking in an interview with the Fox Business Network programme Mornings with Maria, Trump said: “I wrote him a letter asking him not to do that, and he wrote me a letter saying that, essentially, he’s not doing that.”

Trump did not specify when the exchange took place.

Tariff Warning Over Iran Arms

The remarks come after Trump warned that countries supplying weapons to Iran could face tariffs of up to 50%.

He has previously indicated that such measures could apply to China if it were found to be providing military support to Tehran.

Summit Plans Unaffected

Trump also said he did not expect developments related to the Iran war or changes in Venezuela to affect the dynamics of his planned meeting with Xi next month.

“He’s somebody that needs oil. We don’t,” Trump said, referring to China’s energy dependence.

China Denies Supplying Weapons

Beijing has consistently denied supplying weapons to Iran, rejecting such claims as unfounded.

(with inputs from Reuters)