Trump may meet Xi as early as April despite a tariff war and trade tensions: Report

US President Donald Trump is likely to visit China as early as next month amidst a simmering trade war between the world’s two largest economies. Hong-Kong-based South China Morning Post reported that initial discussions regarding Trump’s potential visit to China have taken place but it was not clear whether any progress has been made.

“It is more difficult for Beijing officials to talk to their counterparts in Washington now than in the Biden administration as Washington is going through drastic changes,” the SCMP quoted a source in the Chinese government as saying.

A second Chinese source confirmed to SCMP that both sides are in active discussions to have a meeting between Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping in April but dates haven’t been finalised yet.

‘Trump wants Xi to visit Mar-a-Lago’

The source further said that Trump has shown willingness to host Xi at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida but Beijing is pushing for a more formal meeting, either in China or US.

For Xi, hosting Trump right after the Chinese Communist Party’s two sessions would come as a diplomatic win, the source said.

Earlier media reports also hinted that Trump may visit China within 100 days of his swearing-in.

Trump visited China in November 2017 during his first term, receiving a grand welcome, including a formal dinner in capital Beijing. However, just months later, he launched a trade war against Beijing. His successor, Joe Biden, did not visit China during his presidency.

US-China trade tensions

Any potential meeting between Trump and Xi would occur amid escalating US-China trade tensions.

Trump recently announced measure to double tariffs on Chinese goods. In response, China introduced retaliatory measures.

Meanwhile, a US investigation into China’s trade practices, ordered by Trump, is set to conclude by April. Its findings could serve as the basis for further trade actions against Beijing.

Despite this, Trump, who prides himself on being a dealmaker, has hinted at the possibility of negotiations. In February, he stated that a new trade agreement with China was “possible.”

A US official told SCMP that “telling signs” could soon emerge regarding Trump’s next move on China.

“Now Trump’s team is quiet on China because they have less people – only half compared to his first term. Now they are concentrating on Ukraine as Trump thinks he could finish the Ukraine business soon, and Ukraine is also much less complicated compared to China,” the source said. He assured that once the Ukraine situation is handled, the Trump administration would shift its focus to China.