U.S. President Donald Trump announced today that he may visit China soon, signaling a potential meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping at a time of elevated trade and security tensions.
“President Xi Jinping has invited me to visit China, and perhaps we will make this visit in the not-too-distant future,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office of the White House. “Not immediately, but not too far off. Many people have invited me, and we will make decisions soon.”
Reuters, citing two sources, reported that aides to Trump and Xi have discussed the possibility of a potential meeting during Trump’s trip to Asia later this year. However, these reports have not been confirmed by either the Chinese or U.S. side.
Trump’s comments came during a meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., an important U.S. ally in the Pacific, whom Trump credited with successfully reducing China’s influence. The U.S. President has sought to ease tensions with Beijing in recent weeks after reciprocal trade tariffs were suspended, which had disrupted global trade and supply chains.