US leader to visit China for first time in 9 years to discuss trade, Iran, Taiwan

WASHINGTON/BEIJING, May 13. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump is going to be paying a state visit to China from May 13 to May 15 at Chinese leader Xi Jinping’s invitation, with talks expected on trade, energy, strategic stability, Iran and Taiwan. The visit, initially set for March 31-April 2, was postponed after the February 28 war against Iran. Trump’s previous Beijing trip occurred in 2017, and his last meeting with Xi in Busan on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit was in October. According to the White House schedule, he is arriving on May 13, with leaders meeting on May 14 at 10:00 a.m. local time [2 a.m. GMT]. No media events were announced. Trump reportedly plans to discuss Taiwan and Iran, without clarifying the future of arms supplies to the island. Beijing called Taiwan the "first red line," expressing readiness to facilitate dialogue on Iran despite recent US sanctions. US media are saying trade, energy, strategic weapons, artificial intelligence, and the rare earth metals agreement would be discussed, with possible extension of the deal under consideration. The Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed in-depth talks on bilateral and global issues, especially economic cooperation, with Reuters sources citing a possible increase in Chinese purchases of US energy.