If you play for time, you try to make something happen more slowly, because you do not want it to happen or because you need time to think about what to do if it happens.
The president's decision is being seen as an attempt to play for time.
See full dictionary entry for time
Chinese translation of 'to play for time'
to play for time
为(為)争(爭)取时(時)间(間)而拖延 (wèi zhēngqǔ shíjiān ér tuōyán)