US President Donald Trump has announced that Chinese leader Xi Jinping will be welcomed at the White House by the end of this year, as the world’s two largest economies seek to repair relations strained by recent trade tensions.
Trump made the statement in an interview with NBC News, recorded on Wednesday—the same day he and Xi held an extensive conversation covering issues such as trade, Taiwan, Russia’s war in Ukraine, and the situation in Iran. Trump is expected to visit China in April, while Xi is set to travel to the United States afterward.
“He’s coming to the White House, toward the end of the year,” Trump said in the interview, excerpts of which aired on Sunday.
“These are the two most powerful countries in the world, and we have a very good relationship.”
Since returning to the White House a year ago, Trump has imposed multiple rounds of tariffs, including sector-specific duties on steel, automobiles, and other goods, as well as broader measures aimed at achieving various political objectives.
While the White House has confronted Beijing over trade, it reached a “broad truce” with China following a major escalation last spring. Despite US efforts to reduce its dependence on Chinese manufacturing, the two countries remain deeply economically intertwined.
Xi, who last visited the United States in 2023, warned Trump on Wednesday to proceed with “caution” regarding arms sales to self-governed Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory.
The Chinese leader also expressed hope that bilateral issues, including trade, could be resolved amicably between Beijing and Washington.
“By addressing issues one by one and steadily building mutual trust, we can find the right way for both countries to get along,” Xi said, according to state broadcaster CCTV.
Trump, meanwhile, described his conversation with Xi as “excellent,” adding that “we both understand how important it is to keep it that way.”
On Friday, the United States called for trilateral talks with Russia and China to establish new limits on nuclear weapons, but Beijing has so far declined to join disarmament negotiations “at this stage.”
