 "Amid US-China trade tensions, Trump says Xi to visit Washington in 'not too distant future'")
Donald Trump hints at Xi Jinping visit to Washington amid trade tensions
US President Donald Trump has suggested that his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, will visit Washington in the “not too distant future,” as speculation mounts over a potential summit between the two leaders.
The remark comes amid ongoing trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies, which have been locked in a cycle of tit-for-tat tariffs.
Trump hints at meeting with Xi
Trump made the comment on Monday (March 17) while discussing urban beautification efforts in the US capital, describing Washington’s highways as “old and bad.” He argued that the city should be cleaned up ahead of Xi’s potential arrival, particularly by addressing homelessness and graffiti.
“Here it’s really bad[…]and it looks terrible,” Trump said.
Reports earlier this month suggested that Trump could visit China as soon as April, although no official dates have been confirmed.
According to the South China Morning Post, Trump had hoped to host Xi at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida, where they previously met in 2017. However, Beijing is believed to prefer a more formal diplomatic setting, either in Washington or by inviting Trump to China.
The Wall Street Journal has also reported that officials from both sides have discussed a possible “birthday summit” in June, the birth month of both leaders.
Despite Trump’s past assertions that he and Xi “got along very well” during his first term, relations between the US and China soured amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
More recently, Trump has spoken of the potential for the two nations to “solve all of the world’s problems together.” Nevertheless, his administration has continued to escalate trade tariffs against Beijing.
Impact Shorts
View AllDuring his first term, Trump launched a trade war with China, accusing it of unfair economic policies. In 2018, he signed an executive order imposing tariffs of up to 25 per cent on Chinese imports worth $300 billion. The US trade deficit with China peaked that year at $419 billion and stood at nearly $300 billion in 2023, a 5 per cent rise from the previous year.
US-China trade war under Trump 2.0
Since returning to office, Trump has intensified tariffs on Chinese goods while also targeting Mexico and Canada over trade imbalances, immigration, and the fentanyl crisis. While Mexico City and Ottawa have sought negotiations, Beijing has responded with countermeasures, imposing 10-15 per cent tariffs on American agricultural products and sanctioning certain US companies.
China’s foreign ministry struck a defiant tone earlier this month, warning that Beijing was prepared for a prolonged confrontation. “If war is what the US wants, be it a tariff war, a trade war or any other type of war, we’re ready to fight till the end,” a spokesperson said.
With diplomatic tensions running high, a meeting between Trump and Xi could mark a pivotal moment in US-China relations. Whether it leads to a thaw in trade hostilities, however, remains to be seen.
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