Xi Jinping to Visit Shanghai Amid Tariff War with United States

Reuters Reports
President Xi Visits Shanghai for the First Time in 1 Year and 5 Months

Reuters reported on April 28 (local time) that Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to visit Shanghai, known as China's "economic capital," this week.

Quoting multiple sources familiar with the matter, Reuters stated that President Xi will visit Shanghai at a time when China and the second administration of Donald Trump in the United States are engaged in a trade war.

This will be President Xi's first visit to Shanghai in one year and five months since the end of November 2023.

During his 2023 visit, President Xi toured locations such as the Shanghai Futures Exchange and called for Shanghai to leverage its strengths as a financial center to play a leading role in the technology sector. He also presided over meetings with regions that make up the Yangtze River Economic Belt, a major export hub. China announced the plan to establish the Yangtze River Economic Belt in 2014 after President Xi came to power.

The Yangtze River Economic Belt is a concept that connects eleven provinces and municipalities along the Yangtze River, stretching from Shanghai to the inland provinces of Sichuan and Yunnan, into a single economic zone. The region has a population of 600 million, accounting for 40% of China's total population.

Shanghai serves as the starting point of the economic belt and as an international financial hub, home to numerous foreign companies such as Tesla and General Motors (GM).

Reuters also reported that the State Council Information Office of China has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding President Xi's visit to Shanghai.