President Donald Trump has rescheduled his anticipated visit to China for mid-May after the initial trip was postponed due to the Iran war.
In a Truth Social post on Wednesday, Trump announced he will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping on May 14 and 15. The diplomatic trip was originally scheduled from March 31 to April 2.
The trip is set to mark the first state visit to Beijing by a U.S. president since Trump’s visit in 2017. Trump reiterated that he and first lady Melania Trump will host Xi and his wife at the White House later this year. The date for Xi’s visit has not been announced yet.
“Our Representatives are finalizing preparations for these Historic Visits,” Trump wrote. “I look very much forward to spending time with President Xi in what will be, I am sure, a Monumental Event.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also announced the news at a press conference shortly before the president’s social media post.
The Trump administration delayed the trip because of the military operation in Iran, where U.S. and Israeli forces have bombarded the Islamic regime for nearly four weeks.
Last week, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent suggested Trump’s visit to China was going to be delayed because of the “logistics” involved in planning the event and Trump’s intention to monitor the Iran war.
“The president wants to remain in D.C. to coordinate the war effort, and traveling abroad at a time like this may not be optimal,” he told CNBC’s Squawk Box on March 16.
Providing a caveat, Bessent noted the trip would not be delayed because of China’s cautious stance on policing the Strait of Hormuz alongside the United States and other Western nations. China has not joined the U.S.-led coalition to secure the Strait of Hormuz, opting for a mediating role between the U.S. and Iran instead.
Iran is largely blocking the strait, one of the world’s most important oil chokepoints, as its forces fend off the U.S. and Israeli militaries.
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However, Tehran has provided passage through the Strait of Hormuz for nonhostile oil vessels, including those linked to China. Beijing is calling for de-escalation as the war persists.
“We are gravely concerned over the ongoing tensions in the Middle East and the impact on regional and global peace and stability,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said Wednesday. “The pressing priority now is to stop fighting. The way out is through dialogue and negotiation. China supports all efforts conducive to easing tensions, de-escalating the situation, and restoring dialogue.”
