Kathmandu. US President Donald Trump’s much-awaited visit to China has been put on hold amid escalating war in the Middle East and rising geopolitical tensions.

Beijing said it was in contact with Washington, but kept quiet on the timing of the trip.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a press briefing that the two countries are continuing to discuss a possible Trump visit. He, however, refused to give any specific details about the date or the official schedule.

The trip, originally scheduled for March 31, was considered significant in the context of growing strategic and trade competition between the US and China. In particular, the Trump administration’s aggressive tariffs have complicated relations between the two countries.

But the war in the Middle East has stymied that plan. Trump indicated on Tuesday that his trip to China would take place in “five or six weeks”. Earlier on Sunday, he said that whether China will cooperate in opening the Strait of Hormuz could affect the date of the visit.

After the US-Israeli attack on Tehran, Iran has effectively blocked the strategic waterway. This has made the global energy supply and diplomatic equation more sensitive. The next day, Trump acknowledged the possibility of a delay, saying he would have to stay in the US because of the war.

However, China has maintained its customary practice of not announcing the dates of high-level visits in advance, saying it has not officially confirmed them. Overall, the current international situation has made the high-level dialogue on U.S.-China relations uncertain.