Trump says China's Xi to visit US 'toward the end of the year'
US President Donald Trump has said Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit the United States toward the end of this year, signalling a fresh push by Washington and Beijing to stabilise relations strained by trade disputes and strategic rivalry.
Trump made the remarks in an interview with NBC News recorded on Wednesday, the same day he held an extensive phone conversation with Xi. The talks covered sensitive issues including trade, Taiwan, Russia’s war in Ukraine and tensions surrounding Iran. Trump indicated that he plans to travel to China in April, ahead of Xi’s return visit to Washington later in the year.
“He’s coming to the White House, toward the end of the year,” Trump said, describing China and the United States as “the two most powerful countries in the world” and stressing the importance of maintaining a working relationship.
Since returning to office, Trump has aggressively used tariffs as a policy tool, imposing sector-specific duties on steel, automobiles and other goods while pressing allies and rivals alike to renegotiate trade terms. Relations with Beijing deteriorated sharply last year before both sides stepped back from a full-blown trade war and agreed to a broad truce.
Despite US efforts to reduce reliance on Chinese manufacturing, economic ties remain deep, with bilateral trade running into hundreds of billions of dollars annually and supply chains still closely linked.
During the call, Xi urged Washington to act with caution on arms sales to self-ruled Taiwan, which China considers part of its territory, and expressed hope that disputes could be managed through dialogue. Chinese state media quoted Xi as saying that resolving differences step by step could help both countries find a stable path forward.
Trump described the exchange as “excellent,” saying both leaders recognised the need to keep relations on an even keel.
Meanwhile, Washington has floated the idea of three-way nuclear arms control talks with China and Russia, though Beijing has said it is not ready to join such negotiations for now.
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