China confirmed on Monday a state visit by Donald Trump from Wednesday to Friday, during which he is expected to meet with leader Xi Jinping and discuss Iran and trade disputes. This will be the first visit by a US president to China since 2017.
“At the invitation of President Xi Jinping, President of the United States of America, Donald J. Trump, will make a state visit to China from May 13 to 15,” the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.
China had refrained from confirming the dates of the Republican billionaire’s visit, which is common practice for official visits and especially due to uncertainty related to the Middle East conflict.
The White House had originally announced the US president’s trip to China for late March-early April. But Donald Trump announced its postponement to mid-May, saying he wanted to prioritize the management of the Iranian crisis.
The visit of the American president comes at a time when there are numerous bilateral disputes, from US restrictions on technology exports to China to tariffs, Taiwan, and the South China Sea.
Donald Trump is visiting China while the situation around Iran remains tense, with the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz weighing on the global economy and energy prices. Trade, tariffs, and artificial intelligence will be on the agenda for discussions during this visit from Wednesday to Friday, the White House said.
Donald Trump will arrive in Beijing on Wednesday evening, according to Anna Kelly, deputy spokeswoman for the American executive.
A welcome ceremony and a bilateral meeting with Xi Jinping will be held on Thursday morning, followed by a visit to the Temple of Heaven in the afternoon and a state banquet in the evening, she detailed.
The two presidents will then have breakfast together and a working lunch on Friday before Donald Trump returns to Washington.
This visit will be an opportunity for the Republican to “rebalance the relationship with China and give priority to reciprocity and fairness in order to restore American economic independence,” Anna Kelly said. “It will be a visit of considerable symbolic importance” but will also allow for the conclusion of “good agreements,” she assured.
