The high-level talks will aim to “reset the relationship” between Washington and Beijing, the White House has said.
China’s Foreign Ministry has confirmed that US President Donald Trump will pay a state visit to Beijing from May 13 to 15, the first such trip in nearly nine years.
The meeting was scheduled to take place at the end of March but was postponed due to the war between the United States and Israel against Iran, which disrupted the world energy market following the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.
Deputy Secretary of the White House Anna Kelly described the trip as one of “significant significance” which would consider “reestablishing relations with China and prioritizing equality and justice to restore America’s economic independence.”
The US president will hold bilateral talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday, and the two leaders are expected to meet again on Friday for a tea and lunch session.
Last month, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said Washington was seeking to preserve stability in the relationship between the two countries while continuing to gain access to Chinese rare minerals that are important to US industry.
A senior US official told reporters on Sunday that Washington may also try to pressure Beijing over purchases of Iranian oil and Tehran’s access to dual-use products.
China, which has rejected Washington “one sided” sanctions targeting Iran’s oil sector, have repeatedly called for an end to the war. Trump’s visit comes just a week after Beijing hosted Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.
The road to the summit was paved by an interim trade deal reached in South Korea last October after Trump’s tariffs on Chinese goods rose to 145%. Beijing responded by blocking exports of rare earths critical to US industry and military production, forcing several US factories to suspend operations.
