US President Donald Trump will travel to China on May 14 and 15 for a rescheduled summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, the White House announced.
Trump had been due to visit Beijing at the end of this month but postponed because of the war in Iran.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday that the “long-awaited” trip is set, and that Mr Trump and First Lady Melania will later host President Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan in Washington, DC, on a reciprocal visit this year.
Asked whether ending the war was a precondition for rescheduling, she said there had been no such discussion between the leaders.
“President Xi understood that it’s very important for the president to be here throughout the region right now. He understood, obviously, the request to postpone and accept it, which is why we have a meeting,” Leavitt said.
On whether the war would be over by May, Leavitt replied, “Again, as I’ve said, we’ve always estimated approximately four to six weeks.”
Trump and Xi last met in person in October on the sidelines of the APEC summit in Busan, South Korea.
Last week in the Oval Office, while meeting Irish Prime Minister Michel Martin, Trump said he would go to China in five or six weeks rather than at the end of the month, and that he would reschedule the trip.
“We’re working with China, they were fine with it,” Trump said. “I look forward to seeing President Xi. He looks forward to seeing me, I think,” he added.
The US and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran on February 28, and Iran’s retaliation expanded the conflict across the Gulf region.
The US and Israeli attack killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The strikes followed days of buildup, amid pressure from Trump on Tehran to accept a new nuclear deal.
The conflict has also hit energy supply chains hard, particularly through the Strait of Hormuz.
