Trump may travel to China to meet Xi Jinping in 'not-too-distant future'

US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he may visit China soon for a landmark trip at a time of simmering trade and security tensions.

 

"President Xi has invited me to China, and we'll probably be doing that in the not-too-distant future," Trump told reporters in the White House's Oval Office.

 

"A little bit out, but not too distant. And I've been invited by a lot of people, and we'll make those decisions pretty soon."

 

Reuters has reported that Trump and Xi's aides have discussed a potential meeting between the leaders during a trip by the US president to Asia later this year, citing two people familiar with the plans.

 

While plans for a meeting have not been finalised, discussions on both sides of the Pacific have included a possible Trump stopover around the time of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in South Korea or talks on the sidelines of the October 30-November 1 event, the people said.

 

Another possible trip would be for a September 3 Beijing ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two, which Russian President Vladimir Putin is planning to attend.

 

The White House and the Chinese government had declined to comment on that earlier Reuters report.

Trump made the comment about meeting Xi during a meeting with Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., a key Pacific ally who Trump said he had successfully moved away from China, even as he said it was fine for the two countries to have relations.

 

Trump has sought to lower tensions with Beijing in recent weeks after pausing a tit-for-tat tariff war that has upended global trade and supply chains.

 

Trump has sought to impose tariffs on virtually all foreign goods, which he says will stimulate domestic manufacturing and which critics say will make many consumer goods more expensive for Americans.

 

He has called for a universal base tariff rate of 10 per cent on goods imported from all countries, with higher rates for imports from some, including China. Imports from China have the highest tariff rate of 55 per cent.

 

Trump has set a deadline of August 12 for the US and China to reach a durable tariff agreement. Other points of friction between the countries include China's support for Russia, trade in fentanyl-related chemicals, regional security worries, and exit bans on some American residents.