Trump faces grueling marathon in Iran conflict as Putin heads to Beijing
The 2018 jinshanling Great Wall international marathon begins, with 1,500 athletes from 20 countries running the ancient Great Wall jinshanling on spring day, which is a great event for Chinese and foreign marathon lovers,15 April 2018. International runners in the jinshanling Great Wall international marathon. (Photo credit should read Hou Jiqing/Future Publishing via Getty Images)
Cfoto | Future Publishing | Getty Images
Hello, this is Hui Jie writing to you from Singapore. Welcome to another edition of CNBC’s Daily Open.
China seems to be the place to visit for world leaders over the past two weeks, and not simply for runners wanting to conquer the Great Wall Marathon over the weekend.
Days after Air Force One departed Beijing, Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to visit the Chinese capital for talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Meanwhile, the war in Iran seems to be becoming a marathon for U.S. President Donald Trump, who once again warned Tehran to “get moving” or “there won’t be anything left.”
What you need to know today
Over the weekend, nearly 1,500 runners from almost 50 countries descended on Beijing for the Great Wall Marathon, a grueling race that stretches across sections of the Great Wall of China through some of the Chinese capital’s most historic sites.
A tour website billed the event as “a grueling 26.2 miles with over 20,000 uneven steps!”
It wasn’t just runners, but also world leaders who were coming to Beijing, although for less physically strenuous endeavors.
Just after his summit with Trump, Xi is preparing to host another guest: Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Putin’s visit comes as Washington and Beijing seek to stabilize ties. On Sunday, the White House released a fact sheet detailing how China would purchase at least $17 billion of agricultural products, on top of soybean purchase commitments made in October 2025.
Iran also loomed over last week’s Trump-Xi summit. Trump claimed that China would help in the Iran conflict, although analysts told CNBC that it remains unclear how much influence Beijing has, or is willing to commit to.
On Sunday, Trump once again threatened Iran to strike a deal or face military action, echoing previous threats that have so far yielded little progress toward resolving the conflict.
Meanwhile, the critical Strait of Hormuz remains closed, driving concerns over dwindling oil stockpiles and a further oil shock, according to statements from the International Energy Agency, alongside banks and energy executives.
Crude prices rose in early trading Monday, with both U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures climbing around 3% to $108.63 a barrel, while international benchmark Brent rose more than 2% to $111.92 a barrel.
U.S. stock futures were little changed as traders awaited results from Nvidia and U.S. retailers, while Asia markets dipped on oil supply fears. South Korea’s Kospi fell more than 3% at the open.
Investors will also be watching for key economic data from China later…
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