Trump told Xi that China helping Iran is unacceptable, US ambassador says

US President Donald Trump told Chinese President Xi Jinping that any Chinese assistance to Iran was unacceptable during candid talks at the White House, US Ambassador to China David Perdue said on Friday.

Washington has been pressing Beijing over its reported role in the Iran conflict.

What did Trump tell Xi about China helping Iran?

Perdue said Trump made clear that any Chinese help to Iran, whether direct or indirect, intelligence, parts or military equipment, was "totally unacceptable."

He told CNBC that "President Trump made that very clear again yesterday," calling it "an ongoing drumbeat."

What happened during Trump and Xi's White House talks?

The comments came after Trump hosted Xi for a state dinner on Thursday, following a day of elaborate ceremony at the White House. The two leaders sought to manage deep differences over Iran, Taiwan, trade and technology. Perdue described the talks as candid and said the two leaders were developing a degree of trust as they worked through difficult issues.

"These two leaders are beginning to develop a relationship of somewhat trust and also working on the issues," he said. "This was a very candid and open conversation."

What is China's alleged role in the Iran conflict?

The Iran conflict was among the major issues confronting the two leaders. China has been reported to have shared intelligence with Tehran, and a Wall Street Journal report said Beijing sent around 1,300 air shipments of dual-use components for drones and missiles to Iran's Defense Ministry through June. China has not publicly confirmed the reported shipments.

Xi, for his part, urged Trump to exercise "prudence" over Taiwan, the self-governing island claimed by Beijing, and pressed for an end to the Iran war through negotiations.

Did the summit produce any breakthroughs?

The leaders also used the summit to highlight economic and technological ties, with several prominent US technology executives attending Thursday's state dinner, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Despite the high-profile ceremony, the summit produced no immediate sign of major breakthroughs on the most contentious issues, including Iran, Taiwan, artificial intelligence and trade.

Xi's visit is due to conclude on Friday, when Trump is scheduled to accompany him and their wives to the US National Archives, which houses the Declaration of Independence, as the United States marks its 250th anniversary this year.