Trump Floats Delaying Xi Summit If No Help for Hormuz, FT Says

The emerging tension between Washington and Beijing over maritime security in the Strait of Hormuz signals a potentially destabilizing shift in geopolitical dynamics that could have profound implications for European businesses operating across Africa and the Middle East. President Trump's suggestion that he may postpone a high-level summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping unless China provides assistance in securing one of the world's most critical shipping corridors reveals the intersection of great power competition and global commerce—an intersection where European investors increasingly find themselves exposed. The Strait of Hormuz, through which approximately one-third of global seaborne oil passes annually, represents a chokepoint of unparalleled strategic importance. Any disruption to traffic through this narrow waterway between Iran and Oman has immediate ripple effects across global energy markets and supply chains. For European enterprises with operations in Africa—particularly those in energy, manufacturing, and logistics sectors—the implications are substantial. Energy costs are among the most significant variables affecting operational viability across the continent, and any escalation of tensions in the Middle East threatens to spike oil prices, directly impacting margins and competitiveness. Trump's leverage strategy reflects a broader recalibration of US-China relations, moving beyond traditional trade negotiations toward what might be termed "strategic