Beijing, Sep 21 (IANS) Chinese President Xi Jinping will be on a State Visit to the US from September 23-25. During his visit, Xi will hold a meeting with the US President Donald Trump, during which they will discuss major issues related to bilateral ties, world peace and development, the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced on Monday.
Addressing a regular press conference on Monday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said that the exchange of visits by the Presidents of the US and China within six months will mark a milestone of historic significance.
When asked about the schedule of Xi Jinping’s visit to the US and China’s expectation for bilateral ties, Guo Jiakun said, “At the invitation of President Donald J. Trump, President Xi Jinping will soon pay a state visit to the United States. During his visit, President Xi will have in-depth exchange of views with President Trump on major issues concerning bilateral ties and world peace and development.
“Head-of-state diplomacy plays an irreplaceable role in providing strategic guidance to China-US relations. The exchange of visits by the two presidents within the span of half a year will mark a milestone of historic significance. China will work with the United States to enrich the dimensions of the China-US constructive relationship of strategic stability, strengthen dialogue and cooperation, and properly manage differences, so as to deliver greater benefits to our two peoples and further contribute to world peace, stability and prosperity,” he added.
Trump will discuss artificial intelligence, trade and rare earth supplies with Xi Jinping during his State Visit, with US officials ruling out an exchange of export controls for mineral flows they say Beijing has already promised.
The talks in Washington will follow Trump’s address to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York. Iran’s nuclear ambitions, Gaza and his administration’s diplomatic efforts are expected to feature in that speech, US officials told reporters during a briefing last week.
A senior US official said AI and the existing trade arrangement, described as the “Busan truce”, were on the leaders’ agenda. Officials did not announce agreements on either issue and declined to predict the outcome.
On rare earths, an official said Washington expected China to honour previously negotiated commitments to supply the minerals to the US and global economies. Chinese performance had fallen short of American expectations, the official said.
“China’s performance in that respect has not been up to par of what we would expect,” the official said.
The US administration has also discussed reducing certain tariffs on a narrow range of goods in sectors considered neither sensitive nor strategic. The official gave no details of products or potential reductions.
Asked about possible Chinese access to the US automobile market, the official said Trump would not compromise national security. Investments would still have to meet applicable rules and regulations.
AI discussions were also expected at senior-level meetings with Chinese representatives in New York over the weekend. An official declined to outline US negotiating positions or say whether those discussions would produce an agreement.
Fentanyl precursor chemicals will be another point of pressure. A senior US official accused China of remaining the predominant supplier of those chemicals to Mexican cartels and said recent arrests did not amount to the broader action Washington wanted.
“But we’d like to see much more systemic change,” the official said.
Officials also said US sanctions against Chinese and Hong Kong entities accused of supporting Iran would continue. One official said Trump had repeatedly raised cases of people wrongfully detained in China during previous encounters with Xi, but stopped short of confirming specific cases for this meeting.
Trump would greet Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday (local time).
Thursday’s programme includes a White House arrival ceremony, a military review, bilateral talks and a state dinner in the East Room. The leaders and their wives will have private tea and tour the National Archives on Friday before Xi departs.
Xi’s visit to the US comes after Trump’s three-day visit to China in May. During the visit, Trump and Xi held talks at the Great Hall of the People and visited the Temple of Heaven in Beijing.
–IANS
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