Trump begins "very exciting" trip to China
U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday began his highly anticipated trip to China, saying it will be "very exciting," Kyodo reports.
Trump, who will arrive in Beijing on Wednesday evening, is joined by executives from major American companies. He is hoping to clinch huge business deals between the world's two most powerful countries, despite long-running trade friction and intensifying competition in the field of advanced technologies.
Before leaving for the Chinese capital, Trump told reporters that he would have a "long talk" with Xi about the Middle East conflict.
"He's been somebody that we get along with," Trump said of Xi. "I think you're going to see that good things are going to happen. This is going to be a very exciting trip. A lot of good things are going to happen."
Trump will mark the first U.S. presidential visit to China since November 2017, when he traveled to Beijing during his first term.
Trump and Xi last met in October in South Korea, during which they agreed to a one-year pause in their trade war.
The latest summit, postponed in March due to the Middle East conflict, will begin Thursday morning, following a welcome ceremony.
According to the White House, the two presidents are scheduled to tour the Temple of Heaven together in the afternoon before attending a state banquet.
On Friday, Trump is set to have a working lunch with Xi before leaving China.
On Monday, President Donald Trump said that the ceasefire with Iran remains in place but is “on massive life support,” underscoring Washington’s intent to continue diplomatic efforts despite rejecting Tehran’s latest proposal.
