U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday downplayed differences with Chinese President Xi Jinping over the war in Iran ahead of his trip to Beijing.

Asked what message he had for Xi regarding the war, Mr Trump said the two would have “a long talk” about it.

“I think he’s been relatively good, to be honest with you,” Mr Trump told reporters. “You look at the blockade – no problem. They get a lot of their oil from that area. We’ve had no problem.”

China’s support for Iran remains a point of tension between Washington and Beijing.

The U.S. Treasury Department has recently imposed several rounds of sanctions on Chinese companies accused by Washington of engaging in unauthorised trade with Iran.

The measures have targeted, among others, refineries that buy oil exports, which are crucial to Tehran.

China is by far the most important buyer of Iranian oil, while the United States is trying to increase pressure on Iran’s leadership through a naval blockade.

Mr Trump said he got along very well with Mr Xi.

“This is going to be a very exciting trip. A lot of good things are going to happen,” he said.

Asked whether Mr Xi could be helpful in the Iran war, Mr Trump said, “I don’t think we need any help with Iran.”

Diplomatic efforts to reach a peace agreement in the war with Iran, which has been going on for more than two months, have stalled.

A central point of dispute is how to deal with Iran’s controversial nuclear programme and its stocks of around 440 kilogrammes of uranium enriched to 60 per cent, which could be used to build nuclear weapons if processed further.

In an interview with radio station 77 WABC, Mr Trump expressed confidence on the issue.

Asked whether he was convinced he could stop Iran from enriching uranium and ensure Tehran never obtained a nuclear weapon, Mr Trump said, “100 per cent. They’re going to stop.”

The U.S. president also reiterated that the U.S. would obtain Tehran’s stocks of highly enriched uranium.

He left open how that would happen.

(dpa/NAN)