Trump: "Xi Jinping to Visit the US in the Near Future"... Will the Summit Happen on His June Birthday?

U.S. and China to Hold Summit Talks Officially
Seeking Compromise Amid Intensifying Trade Conflict

U.S. President Donald Trump announced on the 17th (local time) that Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit the United States soon. As the U.S.-China trade conflict intensifies with the launch of Trump's second term administration, attention is focused on whether the two countries can ease tensions and find a compromise through a summit between the leaders.

AP Yonhap News

On the same day, President Trump visited the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. and said that President Xi would visit "in the not-too-distant future."

If President Xi visits the U.S., it will be his first visit since attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit held in San Francisco in November 2023, where he met then-U.S. President Joe Biden. President Trump did not specify the exact timing of Xi's visit to the U.S.

If a U.S.-China summit takes place, it will be the first meeting between the two leaders since Trump began his second term. Earlier, the U.S. economic daily The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported that the two countries are discussing holding a summit in June. The newspaper also noted that since both Trump and Xi have birthdays in mid-June, the meeting could be called a "birthday summit" if it happens.

President Trump's remarks formalizing the push for a U.S.-China summit came amid his administration's intensification of tariff attacks on China after re-entering the White House. Since his inauguration on January 20, Trump has imposed an additional 10% tariff twice on all imports from China, totaling 20%. The White House stated this was because China has not actively restricted the export of chemicals necessary for manufacturing the opioid fentanyl. In response, China has retaliated by imposing up to 15% tariffs on U.S. agricultural and livestock products, escalating the tariff war. Additionally, other issues such as export controls on advanced technology to China and the Taiwan issue, which have continued since the Biden administration, remain unresolved.

In this context, both countries agree on the need for high-level discussions to ease tensions, raising expectations about whether a U.S.-China summit can manage conflicts and seek compromises. Notably, despite the intensifying trade conflict, both sides are reportedly moderating their policies and rhetoric with negotiations in mind. While President Trump has increased tariff pressure on China, he has also emphasized his openness to discussing a new trade agreement with China. Furthermore, he revealed that he has spoken twice with President Xi around the time of his second term inauguration, mentioning their personal rapport. The two leaders reportedly discussed a wide range of issues during their calls, including U.S.-China trade relations, the sale of the U.S. business of ByteDance, the parent company of the Chinese video-sharing platform TikTok, and efforts to crack down on fentanyl distribution. Although China responded immediately with retaliatory tariffs to the U.S.'s 20% additional tariff increase last month and this month, analysts say the response is limited compared to the retaliatory measures during the first phase of the U.S.-China trade war under Trump's first term.

However, some observers predict that even if a U.S.-China summit is held, a groundbreaking improvement in relations is unlikely.