US, China agree Iran can never have nuke, Strait of Hormuz must remain open: White House

The United States and China agreed Thursday that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon and the crucial Strait of Hormuz must remain open, a White House official said after Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping held a high-stakes summit in Beijing.

The leaders had the much-anticipated meeting at the imposing Great Hall of the People, during which they discussed an array of consequential issues, including trade, the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war on Iran and Taiwan, the self-governing democracy China considers part of its territory.

The meeting came amid an impasse in peace negotiations between Washington and Tehran aimed at ending their months-old war and reopening safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping lane for oil, fertilizer and other commodities. "The two sides agreed that the Strait of Hormuz must remain open to support the free flow of energy.

President Xi also made clear China's opposition to the militarization of the strait and any effort to charge a toll for its use," the official said, casting the Trump-Xi meeting as "good." "And he expressed interest in purchasing