Think Twice Before Heading to Thailand This Hari Raya

Think Twice Before Heading to Thailand This Hari Raya

19 Mar 2026 • 4:30 PM MYT



TheRealNehruism
An award-winning Newswav creator, Bebas News columnist & ex-FMT columnist

Image generated by ChatGPT

March 17, 2026


If you’re planning to travel to Thailand this Hari Raya Aidilfitri, it’s time to pause. Thailand is grappling with an acute fuel shortage, and for Malaysian travellers, what should be a festive escape could quickly turn into a logistical nightmare. Petrol stations in Satun, Hat Yai, Narathiwat, and other popular tourist areas are already running dry or rationing fuel. Cars can only fill up to 500 baht (about RM60) per refill, motorcycles a mere 50 baht (around RM6).


Abdul Halim Othman, a Malaysian tourism operator based in Satun, warns travellers to plan carefully. “Do not wait until your tank is near empty. With the current unpredictability, running out of fuel far from the border is a real risk,” he says. Even stations that remain open are often selling only premium fuel at higher prices, while smaller independent stations are shutting down entirely due to soaring wholesale costs and government price caps.


The fuel crisis is only the tip of the iceberg. Escalating conflicts in West Asia involving Iran, the US, and Israel have disrupted global energy flows, affecting Thailand’s heavy reliance on imported Middle Eastern crude. Roughly half of Thailand’s crude oil shipments come from the region. Any prolonged disruption could immediately affect domestic fuel availability, pushing costs even higher and straining the economy.



The ripple effects of the shortage are being felt across multiple sectors. Work-from-home orders for civil servants and restrictions on state agency travel have been introduced to reduce fuel consumption. Diesel shortages are disrupting agricultural production, with fertiliser deliveries delayed and local prices rising. Farmers face increased costs for tractors and irrigation, threatening both yields and livelihoods. Small petrol stations, lacking financial resilience, are closing because they cannot sell at government-mandated prices without incurring losses.


Tourism, one of Thailand’s largest economic pillars, is already taking a hit. Hotel bookings from Malaysian tourists are only at 40% of normal festive-season occupancy, while long-haul arrivals from Europe and the Middle East could decline by as much as 50% if the crisis persists. Airlines, hotels, and tour operators are forced to adjust schedules, cancel services, and manage frustrated customers. Even local businesses dependent on tourism—restaurants, souvenir shops, and transport operators—are feeling the pressure.


Manufacturing is not spared either. Rising diesel and electricity costs, coupled with delays in importing raw materials, are affecting production schedules. Rural communities are stockpiling fuel in anticipation of shortages, further straining supply chains. Urban centres are struggling to maintain public transport and essential services. Economists warn that if these conditions persist, Thailand could face slower economic growth, higher inflation, and increased financial strain on households and businesses.


For Malaysian travellers, the practical advice is clear: this is not the year to take risks. Refuel whenever possible, plan journeys conservatively, and consider postponing trips to destinations far from the border. Being stranded with no petrol, rising costs, and limited services is a very real possibility.


Meanwhile, Malaysia offers a safer and more predictable alternative. Starting March 18, a 50% toll discount is in effect for Hari Raya travel, making domestic journeys cheaper and far less stressful. With fuel available, roads open, and far fewer uncertainties, returning home or exploring local destinations provides convenience, safety, and peace of mind.


This crisis is a stark reminder of how global events ripple into everyday life. A conflict thousands of kilometres away can suddenly affect your holiday plans, your fuel costs, and your access to basic services. Prudence should outweigh impulse—sometimes the wisest choice is to celebrate closer to home, where preparation and planning can make a real difference.


Thailand may remain a tempting destination, but this year, Malaysians would do well to prioritise safety and stability. Travel smart, plan carefully, and remember: a memorable Hari Raya does not require crossing borders—it requires foresight, caution, and peace of mind.

Malaysia’s Transport Ministry Sparks Controversy With Expanded Aidilfitri Road Ban

Malaysia’s Transport Ministry Sparks Controversy With Expanded Aidilfitri Road Ban


19 Mar 2026 • 12:00 PM MYT



AM World
A writer capturing headlines & hidden places, turning moments into words

Malaymail


As millions of Malaysians prepare for the annual Aidilfitri exodus, the Ministry of Transport (MoT) has announced a stringent enforcement of road bans on heavy vehicles surrounding the festive period. The policy, aimed at reducing road accidents and easing congestion, will see large trucks, trailers, and goods carriers barred from major highways on March 19–20 and March 28–29 days before and after the celebration itself. This has prompted debate among industry stakeholders, logistics firms, and ordinary motorists about the true impact of the ban. (The Star)


This investigation explores the government’s rationale, enforcement strategy, historical data on compliance and violations, and the broader economic and safety implications of the road ban. Using official statements, enforcement records, expert analysis, and regional case studies, we assess whether the policy delivers on its promises or creates avoidable disruption to the nation’s transport ecosystem.


What Is the Aidilfitri Road Ban?


Scope of the Ban


The Transport Ministry, through the Road Transport Department (JPJ), has implemented a temporary driving prohibition (road ban) targeting heavy goods vehicles during peak travel periods associated with Aidilfitri. The ban is scheduled for four days in total: before and after the festival on March 19–20 and March 28–29. (The Star)


Vehicles Affected


Although the official statement from the ministry does not detail exact vehicle categories, heavy and goods vehicles typically include large lorries, trailers, and commercial transport above specified weight thresholds. Previous iterations of road bans included detailed classifications with tiered restrictions based on vehicle type and time of day. (Carz Automedia Malaysia)


Stated Intent


Transport Minister Anthony Loke said the road ban aims to reduce road accidents, which historically spike during festive travel, and to ease traffic flow by reducing mixing between slow-moving commercial vehicles and private cars undertaking the annual balik kampung (return to hometown) journeys. (Malay Mail)


The Logic Behind the Ban: Safety and Congestion


Accident Trends During Aidilfitri


Festive travel has long been identified by Malaysian road safety agencies as a high‑risk period for traffic incidents. Contributing factors include:High vehicle volumes exceeding capacity on major highways.
Fatigue among long‑distance drivers.
Interactions between faster personal vehicles and slower, heavy‑load trucks.

According to enforcement operations during the previous Aidilfitri period, more than 122,000 vehicles were inspected, and over 15,000 actions were taken against violations during a nationwide Festive Road Operation. (Portal Berita RTM)


Enforcement Results


On the first day of last year’s road ban enforcement, JPJ detected 62 goods vehicles violating the prohibition and issued 41 summonses. Twenty‑one vehicles were detained under Section 59 of the Road Transport Act 1987. (Portal Berita RTM)


This enforcement record shows both the challenges of compliance and the willingness of authorities to act. However, critics point out that enforcement alone may not substantially reduce congestion without complementary traffic management strategies.


Logistics Industry Pushback and Economic Impact


Industry Concerns


Malaysia’s freight and logistics industry has voiced concerns over repeated road bans. These include:

• Disruption to supply chains during peak production cycles.
• Increased costs from rescheduling deliveries and idle drivers.
• Pressure on storage facilities as cargo accumulates at distribution points.

Industry sources note that bans can cause a temporary surge in heavy vehicle movements just before and after the prohibited periods, as companies rush to complete deliveries inadvertently contributing to congestion rather than reducing it.


Case in Point: Previous road bans saw complaints from transport operators who reported bottlenecks as the ban dates approached, with logistics activities concentrated in narrow time windows. While anecdotal, these accounts suggest that bans may shift, rather than reduce, traffic pressures. (Reddit)


Comparative Analysis: Other Countries’ Approaches


Countries with high seasonal travel see similar challenges, but their approaches vary:

• Japan restricts large trucks on expressways during peak holiday travel on designated days with dynamic signage.
• Germany enforces weekend and holiday bans for heavy vehicles on major autobahns, with tiered exceptions for essential deliveries.
• France imposes strict restrictions on heavy vehicles during summer peak travel periods to manage congestion.

Malaysia’s model aligns with these strategies, though enforcement intensity and public compliance vary by jurisdiction.


Is the Ban Effective?


Safety Outcomes


There is mixed evidence on whether temporary bans directly improve road safety:Enforcement during Chinese New Year last year showed a 10% reduction in traffic accidents compared to the previous period, attributed partly to coordinated special operations including road bans. (Malay Mail)

However, correlating accident reductions solely with heavy vehicle bans is complex, as other factors like police traffic management and public safety campaigns also play roles.


Traffic Flow Observations


Traffic reports during previous Aidilfitri bans showed that delays still occurred, particularly at major expressway bottlenecks in the Klang Valley and north‑south routes, even when heavy vehicles were restricted. Congestion often peaked late morning and early afternoon, suggesting that private vehicle volume remains the dominant factor. (Reddit)



Broader Implications for Malaysia’s Transport Policy


Urban vs Rural Balance


The ban has sparked debate about equity between urban and rural logistics needs. Rural communities rely on timely deliveries of food and goods, and restrictions on heavy vehicles can delay these essential services.


Supply Chain Resilience


As Malaysia positions itself as a regional logistics hub, repeated disruptive bans raise questions about resilience and adaptability in transport planning. Balancing festival travel safety with continuous goods movement is a persistent challenge.


Technological Enforcement


Experts suggest that integrating smart traffic systems, GPS‑based vehicle tracking, and dynamic routing could offer more targeted solutions than blanket bans. These technologies can help divert heavy vehicles from crowded corridors during peak times without full‑day prohibitions.



Public Reaction and Political Dimensions


Public Opinion


On social platforms, many motorists expressed frustration at pre‑ban rush conditions, where heavy vehicles were concentrated on roads just before restrictions began. Others argued that bans unfairly punish commercial drivers and ignore root causes like insufficient public transport capacity. (Reddit)


Political Considerations


Transport policy during high‑profile national festivities is politically sensitive. Officials must balance public safety, economic stability, and voter sentiment. Critics of the policy have asked for deeper engagement with stakeholders, including logistics associations and highway concessionaires, to refine timing and scope.


What Do You Think? I’d Love to Hear Your Opinion in the Comments Section.


Malaysia’s Ministry of Transport has unveiled an expanded Aidilfitri road ban targeting heavy vehicles for specific days surrounding the festive period to improve road safety and ease congestion. Official data and enforcement records show active compliance efforts by the Road Transport Department, but challenges remain in achieving seamless traffic flow and in mitigating economic disruption to freight operators. (The Star)


While the policy aligns with global practices of diverting heavy traffic during peak travel days, its effectiveness hinges on integrated planning, technological enforcement, and stakeholder collaboration. The result may reduce accidents and empower safer journeys, but it may also accentuate pre‑ and post‑ban traffic surges and strain logistics operations.


The road ban is more than a traffic rule. It reflects Malaysia’s broader struggle to balance human mobility, economic continuity, and public safety during one of the nation’s most important cultural events.

***

I would love to see goods transported mainly by trains, with lorries only at train stations distributing the goods to specific locations. This way will see less lorries on the main highways / interstate trunk roads.

Anthony Loke’s Public Rebuke of Steven Sim Reveals More Than Meets the Eye

OPINION | Anthony Loke’s Public Rebuke of Steven Sim Reveals More Than Meets the Eye


18 Mar 2026 • 9:00 AM MYT



TheRealNehruism
An award-winning Newswav creator, Bebas News columnist & ex-FMT columnist

Image credit: MICSea

Recently, Anthony Loke publicly singled out and rebuked Steven Sim over speculation surrounding the next Chief Minister of Penang.


At first glance, the matter may appear administrative. But in politics, public rebukes are rarely insignificant.


Speaking on the Oriental Daily podcast Critical Landing, the secretary-general of the Democratic Action Party said Sim should stop mentioning possible successors to the current Chief Minister, Chow Kon Yeow. According to Loke, the decision on the next Chief Minister must be made by the party’s Central Executive Committee (CEC), not discussed publicly by individual leaders.


“I want to say publicly that Sim should no longer mention any names, should not discuss them, and should not speculate,” Loke said. “It is not his place to speculate either.”


Sim had reportedly cited two potential successors to Chow, who is serving his final term. The names mentioned were Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister Lim Hui Ying and Tourism Malaysia Board deputy chairperson Yeoh Soon Hin.


Lim Hui Ying is the daughter of DAP founding figure Lim Kit Siang and sister to party adviser Lim Guan Eng. Yeoh Soon Hin, meanwhile, is a senior party figure and currently chairs the Penang Port Commission.


Loke stressed that although the party leadership has indeed discussed succession internally, the time to announce a decision has not yet come. The party, he said, must continue to support Chow fully while he remains in office.



“There is still a Chief Minister in office, and we will definitely support Chow. Everyone must respect that Chow is still the Chief Minister,” Loke said.


He also made it clear that the party will only announce a successor after the Penang state legislative assembly is dissolved ahead of the next election.


Yet what stands out in this episode is not merely the reminder of party discipline, but the fact that Loke chose to publicly single out Steven Sim. Anthony, after all, had the option of either rebuking Steven personally or rebuking his statement generally, without singling him out. That Anthony chose neither is a decision, not an accident.


In politics, such incidents matter. Politics is fundamentally a field of ambition and ego expansion. Leaders strive to rise precisely because they seek to shape their organisation — be it their party or the country — according to their own vision. Publicly puncturing the ego of a rising figure is therefore rarely a trivial act. If a leader succeeds in puncturing the ego of another in a public manner, it will be taken as a sign that the leader with the punctured ego will not be able to shape the organisation in their image. That is equivalent to saying that everyone in the organisation should stop seeing the leader with the punctured ego as a leader. To prevent such a signal from being established, the leader with the punctured ego will have to prevent their ego from being so punctured.


Steven Sim is widely regarded as one of the rising leaders within the DAP. Since entering government in 2018 as Deputy Youth and Sports Minister, he has served in several portfolios, including Finance and Human Resources, before becoming the first non-Malay to head the Ministry of Entrepreneur and Cooperative Development. He is also the Penang DAP chairman, placing him at the centre of the state’s political future.


But Sim’s political rise has been marked by a particular style: he has consistently chosen conciliation over confrontation.


A telling example occurred in 2025 when a fellow DAP member would publicly berate Steven by calling him a “traitor” during a dinner event celebrating Lim Kit Siang’s 84th birthday at Han Chiang College in Penang. The individual who confronted Sim was reportedly an aide to Lim Guan Eng.


Instead of responding aggressively, Sim downplayed the incident, describing it as a “storm in a teacup”. He called for the party to move forward together rather than escalate the dispute.


“Let us move on and go forward, together and stronger,” Sim said at the time.


Rather than make a fuss about the incident, Steven would choose instead to publicly bestow lavish praises on Lim Kit Siang, who also happesn to be Lim Guan Eng's father, just a few days later.


The episode demonstrated Sim’s instinctive preference for maintaining harmony within the party rather than engaging in open factional conflict.


This penchant for a concilitiory approach has helped Steven maintain relationships not only across different factions within the DAP, but also different parties and races. But politics is also an inherently competitive arena. Those who ultimately shape the direction of their people - be it party, race or nation - are often those willing to assert themselves forcefully when the moment demands it.


In that sense, Anthony Loke’s public rebuke places Steven Sim at a significant political crossroads.


If Sim responds by apologising or acknowledging that he spoke out of turn, it would signal that he is comfortable maintaining his current position within the party hierarchy and does not intend to push beyond it.


If he does not, however, it will signal that Steven still has much more ambition to fulfil, and that we can expect him to evolve from a conciliatory figure into a more assertive one in the days to come.


A sheep can be the vizier to the lion. But to become the king of the jungle, the sheep must itself become a lion.


The question, however, is whether Steven Sim is capable of making such a transition.


This is not an easy question to answer.


On one hand, we must acknowledge that nature plays a powerful role in shaping our temperament. Some individuals are naturally combative; others are inclined towards conciliation and harmony. These instincts often guide how politicians navigate conflict and ambition.


On the other hand, we must also recognise that power is the ultimate temptress. When a person comes close enough to power to feel its allure, it is not uncommon for them to go against their own nature in order to obtain it.


In that sense, the recent episode between Steven Sim and Anthony Loke may end up revealing far more than it initially appears to.


It may tell us how Steven Sim intends to conduct himself from this point forward — whether he will remain the conciliatory figure he has always been, or whether he will begin to reveal the sharper political instincts required to climb higher in the ruthless world of politics.

***

OK, Loke could have advised or even reprimanded Sim in private instead of doing that in public - just like Guanee berating Chow, wakakaka. Nonetheless I wonder what in the world made Sim recommend Lim Hui Ying as the next CM of Penang.

I have no intention of insulting her but I just have to say this - Everyone can see (has seen) she is definitely NOT CM-material. If she is eventually promoted as Penang's new CM I dare say she'll be nothing more than a puppet of her brother.

So what the frig was Steven Sim up to when he has been already anointed as Penang's next CM?

US president Trump says Israel ‘violently lashed out’ on Iran gas field, warns of massive retaliation if Qatar attacked

US president Trump says Israel ‘violently lashed out’ on Iran gas field, warns of massive retaliation if Qatar attacked



US president Donald Trump said the United States did not have advance knowledge of Israel’s attack, adding that Qatar had not been involved. — AFP pic

Thursday, 19 Mar 2026 1:47 PM MYT


RIYADH, March 19 — US President Donald Trump said an angry Israel “violently lashed out” and attacked Iran’s major gas field, a significant escalation in the US-Israeli war, but ruled out further such attacks by Israel unless Iran retaliated.


Wednesday’s attack on the huge South Pars gas ‌field drove oil prices higher and prompted a threat by Iran to attack oil and gas targets across the Gulf, while it fired missiles at Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

The escalation heightens the unprecedented disruption of global energy supplies that has raised the political stakes for Trump, who joined Israel in attacking Iran nearly four weeks ago.


Qatar’s state oil giant QatarEnergy reported “extensive damage” after Iranian missiles hit the Ras Laffan Industrial City that processes about a fifth of global gas supply.


Saudi Arabia said it intercepted and destroyed four ballistic missiles launched toward Riyadh on Wednesday and an attempted drone attack on a gas facility in its east.

Today, Iran again targeted Qatar’s gas facilities and its missiles also targeted the Saudi capital.


QatarEnergy “sizeable fires” and extensive damage at several of its liquefied natural gas (LNG) facilities targeted in missile attacks early today.

Trump said the United States did not have advance knowledge of Israel’s attack, adding that Qatar had not been involved.

“Israel, out of anger for what has taken place in the Middle East, has violently lashed out at a major facility known as South Pars Gas Field in Iran,” Trump posted on X yesterday.

“Unfortunately, Iran did not know ‌this, or any of the pertinent facts pertaining to the South Pars attack, and unjustifiably and unfairly attacked a portion of Qatar’s LNG Gas facility.

“NO MORE ATTACKS WILL ⁠BE MADE BY ISRAEL pertaining to this extremely important and valuable South Pars Field ⁠unless Iran unwisely decides to attack a very innocent, in this case, Qatar.

“In which instance the United States of ⁠America, with or without the help or consent of ⁠Israel 😖😖😖, will massively blow up the entirety ⁠of the South Pars Gas Field at an amount of strength and power that Iran has never seen or witnessed before.”

Earlier, the Wall Street Journal said Trump had approved of Israel’s plan to attack Iran’s natural gas field.

South Pars is the Iranian sector of the world’s largest natural gas deposit, which Iran shares with Qatar, a close U.S. ally ⁠and host of the United States’ biggest military base in the Gulf.

Since the start of the conflict, Tehran has targeted not just Israel, but U.S. diplomatic and military facilities across the Gulf and warned its neighbours not to host attacks on Iran.

With de-escalation nowhere in sight, Trump is considering sending thousands more U.S. troops to the Middle East, according to a U.S. official and three people familiar with the planning.

Those troops could be used restore the safe passage of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for a fifth of the world’s oil trade.

Islamic foreign minister condemns attacks

The foreign ministers of 12 Muslim-majority countries meeting in Riyadh denounced Iran’s ⁠strikes on Gulf neighbours and called for an immediate halt.

Iran’s targeting of residential areas and civilian infrastructure, such as oil facilities, airports and desalination plants, could not be justified under any circumstances, the ministers said in a statement.

“This pressure from Iran will backfire politically and morally and certainly we ⁠reserve the right to take military actions, if deemed necessary,” Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan told a press conference after the diplomats met in Riyadh.

Interceptors were seen fired ⁠from near the Riyadh ⁠hotel where the conference was held around the time the ministers gathered for the consultative meeting on the Iran war.

The UAE shut down its Habshan gas facility after it intercepted missiles fired in what its foreign ministry called a “terrorist attack” by Iran.

More than 3,000 people have been killed in Iran since the U.S.-Israeli attacks began on February 28, the U.S.-based Iran human rights group ‌HRANA estimates.

Authorities in Lebanon say 900 have been killed there and 800,000 forced to flee their homes.

Iranian attacks have killed people in Iraq and across the Gulf states, and at least 13 US military service members have been killed in the war— Reuters

Nine-month jail for man who filmed himself stepping on Quran

Nine-month jail for man who filmed himself stepping on Quran



Magistrate Teoh Shu Yee handed down the sentence on Amir Abdul Malik, 41, after he pleaded guilty to the offence. — Pexels pic

Thursday, 19 Mar 2026 1:46 PM MYT


ALOR GAJAH, March 13 — The Magistrate’s Court today sentenced a man to nine months’ imprisonment for stepping on the Quran and uploading the act online last month.

Magistrate Teoh Shu Yee handed down the sentence on Amir Abdul Malik, 41, after he pleaded guilty to the offence.


Amir was charged with desecrating Islam by recording and uploading a video of himself stepping on the Quran with the intent to insult the religion at Kampung Durian Daun, Masjid Tanah, on February 28 this year.

The charge, framed under Section 295 of the Penal Code, provides a maximum of two years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both upon conviction.


In delivering the judgment, Teoh said the act was serious as it touched on the sensitivities of Muslims and had the potential to disrupt societal harmony.


“Insulting any religion, whether Islam or otherwise, can cause far greater harm than physical injury as it affects dignity and rights protected under the Federal Constitution,” she said, adding that the offence was even more concerning as it was committed during Ramadan, a period meant for spiritual reflection and good deeds.

The court ordered the nine-month jail term to take effect from the date of arrest on March 15.


The prosecution was conducted by State Director of Prosecution Nahra Dollah, together with Deputy Public Prosecutor Wan Mohd Abdullah Wan Radzlad, while the accused was represented by lawyer Ishak Kari. — Bernama

***

I want Tamim Dahri to get the same sentence for desecrating a Hindu religious sacred artifact. And when he (Tamim Dahri) gets it I'll vote for Anwar Ibrahim.

Fugitive Tamim Dahri offers to surrender if four temples are demolished

Fugitive Tamim Dahri offers to surrender if four temples are demolished



Tamim Dahri Abdul Razak is believed to be in Saudi Arabia. — Threads pic

Thursday, 19 Mar 2026 2:27 PM MYT


KUALA LUMPUR, March 19 — Activist Tamim Dahri Abdul Razak, who is currently sought by police and believed to be in Saudi Arabia, has offered to surrender on the condition that authorities demolish four specific, allegedly illegal, Hindu temples in Malaysia.

The conditional offer was made public today through a post on one of his social media accounts today.


The post listed the four locations targeted for demolition as a temple on Jalan Pandanmas, another within the Bukit Mertajam Hospital compound, the site of the former Seafield Sri Maha Mariamman Temple, and a temple near the Jakel building in the city.

“Why these four locations? That, everyone can figure out for themselves,” the post added.


Tamim’s offer comes just days after the Langkawi Magistrate’s Court was forced to adjourn his case until May 15, as he had been located in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.


He is set to be charged under Section 295 of the Penal Code for allegedly damaging a “soolam”, a trident sacred to Hindus, at the former site of the Sri Maha Muniswarar Temple in Langkawi.

Earlier this week, Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Mohd Khalid Ismail confirmed that Tamim was one of four individuals being charged in connection with recent religious provocation cases.


The other three are Zamri Vinoth, Arun Dorasamy, and P. Mahendra Boopathy who were charged on Tuesday.

US intelligence agencies not expecting China to invade Taiwan in 2027

US intelligence agencies not expecting China to invade Taiwan in 2027

US spy agencies says Chinese leadership still prefers to pursue unification with Taiwan ‘without use of force’.

Defensive structures on Shiyu, or Lion Islet, which is part of the Kinmen islands, Taiwan, in October 2025 [Ann Wang/Reuters]

By Erin Hale
Published On 19 Mar 2026

United States intelligence agencies say that China is pursuing its longstanding goal of taking control over Taiwan, but they do not expect Beijing to launch an invasion by next year, according to their latest threat assessment.

“The [intelligence community] assesses that Chinese leaders do not currently plan to execute an invasion of Taiwan in 2027, nor do they have a fixed timeline for achieving unification,” according to the 2026 Annual Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community, which was released on Wednesday.

The year 2027 has been considered an unofficial deadline in Washington for when the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) will have capabilities in place to launch an invasion of Taiwan, but US intelligence said such a timeline does not mean Beijing will launch an attack.

“Beijing almost certainly will consider a variety of factors in deciding whether and how to pursue military approaches to unification, including PLA readiness, the actions and politics of Taiwan, and whether or not the US will militarily intervene on Taiwan’s behalf,” the report said.

The PLA has been making “steady but uneven progress” and it has at times “increased the scope, size, and pace of operations around Taiwan” with military drills and operations, but there are still too many risks for Chinese leadership, the report adds.

Despite the often harsh language from Beijing about Taiwan, US intelligence also believes that Chinese leadership still “prefers to achieve unification without the use of force, if possible,” the report said.

A Chinese military onslaught against the island would also cause wider economic disruptions as Taiwan is the world’s top computer chipmaker and about one-fifth of global trade passes through the Taiwan Strait, the report said.

“Even without Washington’s involvement, US and global economic and security interests would face significant and costly consequences, with tech supply chains disrupted and investor fear across markets,” the report said.

“In addition, a protracted war with the US risks unprecedented economic costs to the US, Chinese, and global economies,” it said.



Would China use force against Taiwan?



Iran’s retaliatory strikes on Israel kill four in Tel Aviv, occupied West Bank


‘Xi Jinping doesn’t have a fixed timeline’

The US does not formally recognise Taiwan’s government, but it has pledged to help Taipei defend itself under the 1979 Taiwan Relations Act and subsequent policies, including substantial arms sales and military training for Taiwan’s military. But Washington has remained deliberately vague about whether it would commit troops should China act against the island.

Bonnie Glaser, managing director of the Indo-Pacific programme at the German Marshall Fund of the United States, said she agreed with the US intelligence assessment.

“Xi Jinping doesn’t have a fixed timeline for reunification and prefers to achieve that goal without using force,” she said.

Glaser also said the recent anticorruption “purges” of senior officers in the PLA – a point not mentioned in the report – made a Chinese military option for Taiwan unlikely in the next few years.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has removed or likely removed about 100 high-ranking officers since 2022 in an anticorruption sweep, according to the US-based CSIS China Power Project.

Kitsch Liao, a cyber and military affairs consultant for Taiwan’s Doublethink Lab, told Al Jazeera that the 2030s are a potentially more dangerous timeframe for Taiwan.

“The 2030s is the consensus of the intelligence community, and it’s based on capability not intent,” he told Al Jazeera.

Beijing claims democratic Taiwan as a province and has pledged to annex it by 2049 – the 100-year anniversary of the People’s Republic of China – through either peaceful or forceful means.

China considers Taiwan’s centre-left government to be “separatists” and says involvement by the US and other countries is “foreign interference” in domestic Chinese affairs.

Thailand’s Anutin reelected PM after crushing rival in parliamentary vote

Thailand’s Anutin reelected PM after crushing rival in parliamentary vote



Anutin Charnvirakul attends a voting session for a new prime minister at the parliament in Bangkok March 19, 2026. — Reuters pic

Thursday, 19 Mar 2026 2:15 PM MYT


BANGKOK, March 19 — Anutin Charnvirakul was reelected Thailand’s prime minister today after sailing through a parliamentary vote, winning a fresh mandate that could usher in a rare period of stability for a country long plagued by political drama and turmoil.

The Bhumjaithai Party’s Anutin led from the start in what turned out to be a rout of his biggest rival, Natthaphong Ruengpanyawut, leader of the progressive People’s Party, the surprise runner-up last month in an election it had been widely expected to win.

Anutin becomes the first Thai premier to be voted back to office in two decades, underlining the upheaval that has dogged South-east Asia’s second-largest economy.

In a stunning turnaround in fortunes for a party that had struggled to make its mark in Thai politics, Bhumjaithai scored a decisive election victory over its reformist rival after capitalising on a wave of nationalism arising out of military conflicts with Cambodia last year.


Opportunity seized


Much of Anutin’s success comes from his opportunism last year in seizing on the decline of the once dominant Pheu Thai party, first by abandoning its coalition government then manoeuvring swiftly to form his own after a court sacked a second prime minister in the space of just over a year.

Bhumjaithai’s coalition pact with the politically bruised Pheu Thai and a motley crew of small parties stood firm in today’s vote, with Anutin comfortably reaching the 251 votes needed to win re-election.


His alliance is expected to control 292 of the current 499 seats in parliament.

In the leadup to the vote, Anutin, 59, pledged to get to work immediately on forming a cabinet and solving Thailand’s problems.

“Your voices are equally heard,” he told rival lawmakers. “I’m ready to accept suggestions so I can carry out my duty as head of government. We all have the same goals — the wellbeing of the people.”

Anutin, a staunch royalist, has been a mainstay in Thai politics, weathering two decades of upheaval by positioning Bhumjaithai strategically between warring elites entangled in an intractable power struggle, which guaranteed its place in a succession of coalition governments.

Prospect of stability

Anutin’s election victory and approval by parliament gives him his first clear mandate to lead in a country with a long-stuttering economy shackled by massive household debt and facing headwinds from trade uncertainty and the fallout of the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Anutin’s survival instincts and ability to straddle political divides could prove his biggest asset, some analysts say, with Bhumjaithai having been spared the wrath of Thailand’s powerful military and judiciary, the engineers of the downfall of multiple governments and parties.

Napon Jatusripitak, a political scientist at Singapore’s ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute, said that with Bhumjaithai set to hold sway over the upper and lower houses and Thailand’s axes of institutional power appearing to be behind Anutin, the prospects for medium-term stability were good.

“People have strong reasons to believe that this government can last, particularly because it’s the first time in a long while that the referee and the players are on the same side,” Napon said.

“There’s control,” he said. “And we have a highly fragmented opposition.” — Reuters

US intel chief Gabbard says Iran was not rebuilding enrichment prior to war

US intel chief Gabbard says Iran was not rebuilding enrichment prior to war

Gabbard’s testimony contradicts one of several justifications US President Trump has given for launching war with Iran

US Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testifies before Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, the United States [Kevin Lamarque/Reuters]

By Joseph Stepansky
Published On 18 Mar 2026


Washington, DC – Tulsi Gabbard, the director of US National Intelligence, said that the United States intelligence community had assessed that Iran was not rebuilding its nuclear enrichment capabilities following US and Israeli attacks last year.

The revelation on Wednesday appeared to undercut one of President Donald Trump’s key justifications for joining Israel in launching the latest war against Iran.

Trump and his top officials have repeatedly cited Iran’s nuclear ambitions as one of the main reasons for abandoning ongoing diplomatic talks in favour of military action.

“As a result of Operation Midnight Hammer,” Gabbard said in written testimony to the Senate intelligence committee, referencing the June 2025 US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, “Iran’s nuclear enrichment program was obliterated”.

“There have been no efforts since then to try to rebuild their enrichment capability,” Gabbard said in the written testimony.

Notably, Gabbard did not read that portion of her testimony, which was provided to members of the committee, during her publicly televised oral testimony. When pressed on why she omitted the portion, Gabbard said simply that she did not have enough time. She did not deny the assessment.

“You chose to omit the parts that contradict Trump,” Senator Mark Warner, a Democrat, responded.

Trump has repeatedly said the June 2025 attacks, which came at the end of a 12-day war between Israel and Iran, had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capacity, even as he warned that Iran’s alleged nuclear ambitions presented an immediate threat to the US.
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Tehran has for years denied it is seeking a nuclear weapon. Nuclear and arms monitors have maintained that even if Tehran were seeking a nuclear weapon, it did not represent a short- or medium-term threat.



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The foreign minister of Oman, who had mediated the latest round of US-Iran indirect nuclear talks ahead of the war, has refuted Trump officials’ claims that the most recent negotiations were not yielding any progress.

The Guardian newspaper also reported this week that the United Kingdom’s national security adviser, Jonathan Powell, had attended the final session of talks and assessed that the Iranian position did not justify an immediate rush to war, citing sources familiar with the situation.

The administration has not settled on any single justification for launching the war, also pointing to Iran’s ballistic capabilities, its potential threat to Israel and US forces in the Middle East, and the totality of the Iranian government’s actions since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The concept of an “imminent threat” is significant in determining the legality of Trump’s decision to strike a sovereign country under international law.

It is also significant for US domestic law, under which presidents can commit the military only in instances of immediate self-defence. Only Congress can officially declare war or authorise extended military campaigns.
Iran’s government ‘intact but largely degraded’

The White House said earlier this week that Iran’s ballistic missile capacity was “functionally destroyed”, with the Iranian navy “effectively destroyed” and the US and Israel dominating the country’s airspace.

Experts have assessed that Iran still maintains the military capacity to inflict significant damage in the region, and it has continued to wield its military influence over the Strait of Hormuz.

Gabbard, meanwhile, offered a more sober assessment than the White House, saying that despite the killings of Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, top military officials, and most recently the head of the Supreme National Security Council, Ali Larijani and the intelligence minister, Esmail Khatib, “the regime in Iran ⁠appears to be intact but largely degraded by Operation Epic Fury”.





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“Even so, Iran and its proxies remain capable of and continue to attack US and allied interests in ⁠the Middle East. If a hostile regime survives, it will seek to begin a years-long effort to rebuild its missiles and UAV [drone] forces,” she said.

Gabbard also listed Iran, alongside Russia, China, North Korea and Pakistan, as among the countries “researching and developing an array of novel, advanced, or traditional missile delivery systems, with nuclear and conventional payloads, that put our homeland within range”.

The Washington, DC-based Arms Control Association has said that US intelligence as of 2025 had said it may take Iran until 2035 or longer to develop a missile capable of hitting the US, if it did indeed seek to do so.

High-profile resignation

Gabbard spoke a day after a top official in her agency, Joe Kent, the director of the US National Counterterrorism Center, resigned in opposition to Trump’s war with Iran.

In his resignation, Kent said that Iran “posed no imminent threat” to the US and that Trump’s decision to enter the war went against his “America First” pledges.

Kent is the first high-profile member of the Trump administration to step down in response to the war.

Gabbard herself had previously been a vocal opponent to indefinite military engagement in the Middle East and war with Iran. A former member of the US House of Representatives from Hawaii, she left the Democratic Party and supported Trump, in part, due to his anti-war vows.



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However, in a post on X on Tuesday, Gabbard defended Trump’s decision to go to war.

“As our Commander in Chief, he is responsible for determining what is and is not an imminent threat, and whether or not to take action he deems necessary to protect the safety and security of our troops, the American people and our country,” she said.

She said her agency’s role was to funnel US intelligence to Trump.

“After carefully reviewing all the information before him, President Trump concluded that the terrorist Islamist regime in Iran posed an imminent threat and he took action based on that conclusion,” she said.

Israel holding more than half of Palestinian child detainees without charge

Israel holding more than half of Palestinian child detainees without charge

Rights group says Palestinian children consistently report ‘appalling and debilitating conditions’ in Israeli prisons.

Defense for Children International-Palestine says 51 percent of the 351 Palestinian children detained by Israel at the end of 2025 were being held under 'administrative detention', without charge or trial [File: Raneen Sawafta/Reuters]

By Al Jazeera Staff
Published On 18 Mar 2026


More than half of the Palestinian children detained in Israeli prisons at the end of last year were being held without charge or trial, a Palestinian rights group has said, as concerns mount over reported abuses in Israeli detention facilities.

In a statement on Wednesday, Defense for Children International-Palestine (DCIP) said 51 percent of 351 detained Palestinian children were being held in what’s known as “administrative detention” as of December 31, 2025.

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That is “both the highest number and the highest proportion on record” since the group began monitoring the figures in 2008, it said.

Citing newly released Israel Prison Service (IPS) statistics, DCIP said the figures account for Israeli prisons under IPS administration but do not include children held in Israeli military detention and interrogation centres.

“There is no available data for the number of children or adults detained at these sites, though DCIP has gathered firsthand testimonies from previously detained children describing systematic torture and dehumanizing conditions,” the organisation said.



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Palestinians across the occupied territories, including children, have faced a surge in arrests and detention in the shadow of Israel’s genocidal war in the Gaza Strip, which began in October 2023.

The Israeli authorities have used administrative detention to hold many of those detainees.

A longstanding policy, administrative detention allows Israel to hold Palestinians without charge or trial for six-month periods that can be renewed indefinitely.

According to Palestinian prisoner advocacy group Addameer, more than a third of the 9,500 Palestinians detained by Israel as of March 11 were being held under administrative detention.

DCIP’s statement on Wednesday comes amid multiple reports by human rights groups detailing allegations of a range of abuses in Israeli prisons and interrogation facilities, including sexual violence and torture.

While Israel has denied any wrongdoing, in August 2024, Israeli rights organisation B’Tselem described the Israeli prison system as a “network of torture camps”.

The group, which interviewed dozens of former detainees, accused Israeli authorities of employing “a systemic, institutional policy focused on the continual abuse and torture of all Palestinian prisoners”.

DCIP also said Palestinian children have consistently reported “appalling and debilitating conditions within Israeli detention facilities”, from beatings to denials of medical care and torture, including the use of solitary confinement.

It added that the torture and arbitrary detention of children violates the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Israel has ratified.



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Two US warships visited Penang

Murray Hunter


Two US warships visited Penang


Mar 18, 2026





Photos Sherwynd Kessler


It was confirmed that two US warships from the US Navy’s 5th Fleet made a brief logistical visit to Penang’s northern container terminal. The visit from March 14 to 16 reflected the close and enduring military cooperation Malaysia has with the United States.

On March 15 the Penang-based military aviation tracker Sherwynd Kessler posted photographs of two littoral combat ships (LCS) the USS Tulsa and USS Santa Barbara that had docked at North Butterworth Container Terminal, some 5,600 km from the Persian Gulf. Both these ships were assigned to minesweeping duties in the Persian Gulf before the war.

The timing of this visit came when many nations have forbidden any US military planes, ships and other equipment from transiting their nation’s territories. This includes several European countries including Switzerland, and Spain.

On February 28 the United States together with Israel launched an unprovoked attack on Iran. One of the first air raids killed the Iranian supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khameni, while another raid murdered 170 school girls aged 6 to 12 at the Shajareh Tayyebeh Girl’s elementary school. These are all very serious war crimes.

Last October, Putrajaya signed a memorandum of understanding with the Pentagon on defence cooperation. The US is now carrying out saturation bombing of civilians in Iranian cities including hospitals and schools.

The two naval ships are most likely heading back to the gulf to participate in this war that more and more people are becoming critical of. The US appears to have returned to its decapitation strategy with the seeking out and killing of Iranian leader. A tope security chief Ali Larijani was killed just a couple of days ago.

While NATO member countries are refusing to join the war against Iran, the US National Counterterrorism chief Joe Kent has handed in an immediate resignation from his position to US President Trump in protest. Joe Kent said that Washington had been dragged into the war at the behest of Israel, which is shaping up to become another ‘never ending; conflict like Vietnam.

At face value it appears Malaysia is directly supporting the United States and Israel. More realistically, it looks like Malaysia is positioning itself more behind Saudi Arabia that has strongly condemned Iran’s attack on the gulf states. Malaysia deeply values its diplomatic relationship with Saudi Arabia.

Through diplomatic channels (e.g., Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan’s talks with his Iranian counterpart), Saudi Arabia has explicitly warned Tehran to stop attacks on the kingdom, or Riyadh may be forced to allow US forces to use its bases for operations and/or retaliate directly. This is framed as defensive necessity rather than enthusiasm for joining the war.

The opposition coalition Perikatan Nasional (PN) explicitly called on the federal government to provide a detailed explanation regarding the presence of these US naval assets in Malaysian waters. PN secretary-general Takiyuddin Hassan highlighted concerns that this could contradict Malaysia’s neutral stance (particularly in relation to the Middle East conflict), potentially undermining public confidence and the country’s international image. He urged clarification on the purpose, status, route of the ships (e.g., whether in transit to areas like the Strait of Hormuz), and alignment with Malaysia’s non-alignment policy.

Defence Minister Khaled Nordin responded by stating that the port call followed established Malaysian procedures for foreign naval visits, which are routine. Khalid said “These stops allow for logistical arrangements such as replenishments. Any foreign naval vessel must submit a request through its country to the Royal Malaysian Navy, which forwards it to the Foreign Ministry for approval.”

There are some concerns that Malaysia’s role in facilitating or being indirectly involved in military operations linked to the conflict could be detrimental to the nation’s interest. Assisting the United States which is aligned with Israel could add to further division within the Islamic community of nations. Indirectly, Malaysia is supporting an adversary which is killing innocent Muslims on a continuous basis in Iran. As such this could be counterproductive to Malaysia’s aims at progressing within the BRICS procedures to become a full member.

On the other side, Malaysia has done what some other countries are refusing to do. That is host armored ships and give access to military aircraft flying over sovereign territory.

Time will tell whether there will be any diplomatic repercussions to the Malaysian approach.

The diesel asymmetry and what Malaysia’s subsidy design means for mobility

FMT:

The diesel asymmetry and what Malaysia’s subsidy design means for mobility


Letter to the Editor


There is a gap between the depth and design of diesel-related support and the protection afforded to private motorists

From Wan Agyl Wan Hassan

Malaysia’s BUDI95 programme that entitles qualified motorists to fuel subsidies reflects a deliberate policy choice to shield households from the impact of sharp global oil price volatility.


That protection matters as Brent crude surged to US$119 (RM468) per barrel on March 9 in response to the escalation of the West Asia conflict. As a result, the government’s monthly fuel subsidy bill rose from RM700 million to RM3.2 billion.

However, there is a structural dimension to Malaysia’s current fuel pricing landscape that merits closer examination, one that sits beneath the weekly price headlines and touches on the long-term design of how we protect mobility for all Malaysians, not just those who drive.


The price of diesel has risen by as much as 80 sen per litre in Peninsular Malaysia in recent days. The government has maintained subsidised diesel rates for public land transport operators at RM1.88 per litre and for goods transport at RM2.15. It has also raised the BUDI Diesel cash assistance from RM200 to RM300 per month.

These are meaningful measures. But the question is whether they are sufficient to absorb the sustained cost pressure operators face when global prices remain elevated and volatile.

This is pertinent given the removal of broad-based diesel subsidies in Peninsular Malaysia in June 2024, a fiscally necessary reform that strengthened Malaysia’s budget position and curbed subsidy leakage.

The current discussion is not about reversing that progress. It is about the next layer of precision in how we design support mechanisms as global volatility intensifies.


The structural issue

When diesel prices rise sharply and rapidly, the impact moves through the system. It affects bus operating costs, freight rates and the price of moving goods from warehouses to shelves. Ultimately, it surfaces in the cost of living for the same households BUDI95 is designed to protect.

This is what I describe as a subsidy asymmetry — not the absence of diesel support, but a gap in that support’s depth and design relative to the protection afforded to private motorists.

The household that saves at the pump through BUDI95 may find those savings partially offset by rising transport fares, higher food prices and reduced service reliability, all consequences of residual diesel cost pressure flowing through the supply and mobility chain.


I want to be precise about what I am not arguing for. Restoring broad-based diesel subsidies would be fiscally regressive and would undermine the subsidy rationalisation gains of the past two years.

That is not the case being made here. Nor is this a criticism of the existing tiered diesel pricing and BUDI Diesel assistance, which represent a genuine and necessary layer of protection.

The question is whether that layer is structurally adequate, when global oil prices surge to levels that multiply the government’s monthly fuel subsidy bill more than fourfold.

The more precise question is this: does Malaysia’s current subsidy architecture, which already distinguishes between diesel tiers for public transport, goods transport and private use, go far enough in protecting the operating viability of public mobility services during periods of extreme price stress?

And does the design of that protection account for the cumulative cost burden that operators face when volatility is sustained, not episodic?

Public transport operators face a structurally different challenge from private logistics companies. Bus fares are regulated and service obligations are fixed.

The impact

When fuel costs rise significantly, the market does not self-correct. A public bus operator absorbs the cost quietly over time, until it shows up not as an immediate service cut, but as deferred maintenance, reduced frequency and deteriorating reliability.

For government-linked operators, public service obligations mean losses are often absorbed internally before they become visible. But that absorption has limits, and sustained cost pressure eventually affects the quality and reach of services.

Think of what that means in practice. For a mother in Teluk Intan, a young worker in Kuala Pilah or a student in Segamat, the bus is not a lifestyle choice, but the only available connection to employment, education and economic participation. When service deteriorates, they do not switch modes. They lose access.

Malaysia’s National Transport Policy targets a public transport modal share, the proportion of daily journeys made by public rather than private transport of 40% by 2030. We are currently at approximately 20%.

Closing that gap requires not just infrastructure investment but sustained service viability. A subsidy architecture that inadvertently pressures the operating economics of public transport works structurally against that national target.

A way forward

Other countries have navigated this design challenge. Ireland operates a targeted diesel rebate scheme specifically for qualified road transport operators, providing partial cost relief when diesel prices exceed a defined threshold without restoring broad consumer subsidies.

Niger offered temporary targeted support to transport businesses during its own diesel subsidy reform, recognising that the mobility system needed protection even as consumer subsidies were rationalised.

Malaysia already has the institutional architecture to differentiate between diesel tiers, and the existing subsidised rates for transport operators reflect that capacity.

The next step is to build a more dynamic mechanism upon that foundation that adjusts support levels in response to sustained price stress, rather than relying solely on fixed rates and periodic cash top-ups.

The design details matter, and they require careful work. But the policy question itself is worth raising now, while the conversation about fuel pricing continues, and the policy window is open.

Getting subsidy design right is not purely a fiscal question, but also of mobility equity. Malaysians with the fewest options like those in peri-urban areas and secondary towns, where the bus is the only mode available, are also the least protected when the system that serves them comes under sustained financial pressure.

Malaysia’s subsidy rationalisation journey has been one of the region’s more credible fiscal reform stories. The government’s willingness to absorb a RM3.2 billion monthly subsidy bill to protect Malaysians from the current price shock is a demonstration of that commitment.

The next chapter of that journey is not about retreating from reform, but about applying the same discipline and precision to protecting the mobility system the reform was designed to serve.



Wan Agyl Wan Hassan is a transport expert.

DAP leaders publicly rebuke own deputy minister over appearance with activist Arun

DAP leaders publicly rebuke own deputy minister over appearance with activist Arun



Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) M. Kulasegaran speaks at the Dewan Negara in Kuala Lumpur on December 11, 2024. — Bernama pic

Wednesday, 18 Mar 2026 3:55 PM MYT


KUALA LUMPUR, March 18 — Four DAP leaders today publicly rebuked Deputy Minister M. Kulasegaran for his presence at a court complex with an activist facing charges, saying the action invited “public controversy” and does not represent the party’s official stance.

In a joint statement, DAP central executive committee (CEC) members Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali, Young Syefura Othman, and Syahredzan Johan, along with Bukit Bendera MP Syerleena Abdul Rashid, said they were in “complete disagreement” with their fellow party veteran’s actions.

They said that Kulasegaran should have been more mindful of how his actions would be seen, given his official role as a deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department.

“His position in the government demands a higher level of sensitivity towards public perception, particularly concerning the principle that justice must not only be done, but must also be seen to be done,” the statement read.


The group also insisted that Kulasegaran’s actions were personal and not a party-sanctioned decision.

“Any act of solidarity towards Arun Doraisamy does not represent the stance of DAP,” they said.

The criticism comes a day after Kulasegaran was seen at the Jawi Magistrate’s Court with activist Arun Dorasamy, who was there to face charges of making statements conducive to public mischief.


In his defence yesterday, Kulasegaran explained that he was already in Penang for a meeting and only stopped by the court complex for a brief, coincidental meeting.

He insisted he was not present in the courtroom and had only spoken to Arun to advise him to trust the legal process.

The DAP leaders today concluded by proposing a “middle-ground approach” for the party, urging it to uphold the principle of “innocent until proven guilty” while avoiding any action that could create a perception of interference or partisanship.

Trump confirms meeting with China’s Xi Jinping delayed as war on Iran rages

Trump confirms meeting with China’s Xi Jinping delayed as war on Iran rages

US President Donald Trump delays his trip to Beijing due to Iran war while also seeking China’s help to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, in Busan, South Korea, in October 2025 [Evelyn Hockstein/Reuters]

By Erin Hale
Published On 18 Mar 2026


US President Donald Trump has confirmed he is delaying plans to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the end of the month, as the US-Israeli war on Iran continues to consume most of Washington’s focus.

“We are resetting the meeting,” Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday. “We’re working with China. They were fine with it.”

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Trump’s comments that he wants to remain in Washington come as the war against Iran extends into its third week and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed to almost all global shipping.

“Because of the war, I want to be here. I have to be here,” Trump said.

Trump was scheduled to visit Beijing from March 31 to April 2. The president said he now plans to visit in “about five weeks” or towards the end of April. His last state visit to China was in 2017, during his first term.

China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Tuesday that the US and China “remain in communication” about Trump’s plans to visit.

Trump and Xi were expected to discuss a range of issues, from trade tariffs and Chinese export controls on rare earth minerals and magnets, to the US relationship with Taiwan and Chinese fentanyl exports.

The US-China trade war was put on pause in October when Xi and Trump signed a truce following a meeting in South Korea, and both sides have been working on a more comprehensive trade agreement to resolve their dispute.



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While China and Xi were in Trump’s crosshairs at the start of his second term last year, the president’s tone towards both has softened since his meeting with the Chinese leader in South Korea.

“I look forward to seeing President Xi; he looks forward to seeing me, I think,” Trump said from the White House. “We have a very good relationship with China. It’s much different than it was in the past.”

Trump has also signalled that he is seeking China’s help to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, which has been largely blocked by Tehran since the US and Israel launched their war on Iran 19 days ago.

The waterway is a critical conduit for global trade and Middle East oil exports, and the price of oil has fluctuated significantly due to its closure and constricting fuel supplies.

Trump told The Financial Times that China was among the group of countries that should lobby Tehran to reopen the strait.

Trump previously accused Tehran and Beijing of belonging to the “Axis of Autocracy” due to their close economic ties, as China is Iran’s largest trading partner. China has also supplied Tehran with critical technology to support electronic warfare, some of which has been on display in recent weeks.

If the strait remains closed and the war continues, Trump could still see himself on the back foot when his meeting with Xi next takes place, said Ali Wyne, senior researcher of US-China relations at the International Crisis Group.

Proponents of the Trump administration’s foreign policy had hoped that Operation Epic Fury, as the US campaign on Iran has been named, “would enhance President Trump’s negotiating posture vis-a-vis President Xi by underscoring his willingness to take dramatic, unexpected actions”, Wyne said.

“The gambit, however, has quickly boomeranged. Facing the severest oil supply shock in history, Trump is now exhorting Xi to help him reopen the world’s most vital waterway, the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.

***

Clown was attempting to "fix" China up by seizing Venezuela and Iran, two of China's oil sources (about 20%).