Kyodo News reported on June 30 that the Chinese government has decided to invite U.S. President Donald Trump to the "80th Anniversary of the Victory in the War of Resistance Against Japan and the World Anti-Fascist War (World War II)" event and military parade, which will be held at Tiananmen Square in Beijing on September 3.
According to the report, the Chinese side believes that President Trump is likely to attend the parade, as he has previously expressed enthusiasm for visiting China. However, Kyodo News cited sources saying that hardliners on China within the U.S. government, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, are reportedly opposed to the idea.
Russian President Vladimir Putin is also scheduled to attend the parade. If President Trump also participates, it would mean that the leaders of the United States, China, and Russia would jointly celebrate the victory over Japan, which the report described as a significant concern for Japan.
If President Trump's visit to China is realized, it would likely mark his first face-to-face summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping since the launch of his second administration.
Separately, Kyodo reported that the U.S. government has proposed a visit to the United States by President Xi to coincide with the 80th anniversary session of the United Nations General Assembly, which will be held in New York in September.
However, it is known that China prefers to hold talks within China, where media coverage can be restricted, considering the heated exchange between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House in February that was made public.
The report added that China is coordinating plans to send Premier Li Qiang to the United Nations General Assembly in place of President Xi.
Previously, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) also reported, citing sources, that President Xi will not visit the United States for the UN General Assembly in September despite President Trump's invitation, and that Premier Li will attend instead.
If a U.S.-China summit does not take place in September, there is a possibility that the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, scheduled to be held in Gyeongju, South Korea at the end of October, could serve as the venue for their meeting.
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