Beijing said on Monday it is in talks with Washington over an expected visit by US President Donald Trump, who has pressured NATO allies including China to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz.Trade is set to take center stage in the potential talks between President Xi Jinping and Trump expected at the end of the month.For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.However, Trump has suggested he may delay a meeting with Xi if Beijing does not assist in reopening the strait, and warned that not abiding by his request would be “very bad for the future of NATO”.The waterway, critical to oil transportation, has been effectively closed by Iran in retaliation over the US and Israeli war against Tehran. Beijing’s foreign ministry said on Monday that Beijing and Washington “are maintaining communication regarding President Trump’s visit to China”.“Head-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable strategic guiding role in China-US relations,” spokesman Lin Jian