A spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Monday that at the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, US President Donald Trump will pay an official visit to China from May 13 to 15.
This will be the first visit to China by a US president in nearly nine years.
The visit comes amid a protracted war between the United States, Israel and Iran, a global energy crisis caused by the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and rising tensions between the two countries over a range of issues, including Taiwan.
On Sunday, Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly said Trump would arrive in Beijing on Wednesday night in what she called a “hugely symbolic visit.”
According to Hong Kong’s South China Morning Post, Kelly said that the U.S. leader will attend a welcome ceremony and bilateral meeting with President Xi Jinping on Thursday, followed by a visit to the Temple of Heaven and a state banquet.
The two leaders will meet again on Friday for a bilateral tea party and working lunch, she said, adding that the United States plans to host Chinese leaders for exchange visits later this year.
The two sides announced on Sunday that Vice Premier He Lifeng will go to South Korea from May 12 to 13 for trade negotiations with U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessant, which will be the last round of negotiations before Trump’s visit to South Korea.
Trump’s visit also comes as the U.S. president limits expectations for a trade deal on tariffs between the two largest economies.
A statement from China’s Ministry of Commerce said the talks would be “guided by the important consensus reached by the two heads of state during their meeting in Busan, South Korea and previous phone calls” and discuss “economic and trade issues of common concern.”
This article was generated from automated news agency feeds without modifications to the text.
