New Delhi, April 12 -- US President Donald Trump issued a stark warning to China on Saturday over intelligence reports that Beijing is preparing to ship air defence systems to Iran, even as both powers nominally back a fragile ceasefire - and as Trump prepares to visit Beijing next month for talks with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

Asked by CNN as he departed the White House for Florida, Trump left little room for interpretation. "If China does that, China will have big problems, OK?" he said. He did not confirm whether he had spoken directly to Xi Jinping about the matter.

A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington DC stated flatly to CNN: "China has never provided weapons to any party to the conflict; the information in questio...