Trump's China Visit Postponed to May
US President Donald Trump will meet Chinese leader Xi Jinping in May during his first visit to China in eight years. The trip, initially planned for next week, was rescheduled due to the ongoing war in Iran. Trump announced the new dates for his visit to Beijing as 14 and 15 May in a post on Truth Social on Wednesday. He also stated that he will host Xi Jinping in Washington later this year for a reciprocal visit.
"Our Representatives are finalizing preparations for these Historic Visits. I look very much forward to spending time with President Xi in what will be, I am sure, a Monumental Event."
The Chinese embassy has not provided information regarding the visit, as Beijing typically releases details of Xi’s schedule only a few days prior to events.
Context and Background of the Trip
This long-anticipated trip and the broader US initiative to reset relations in the region have been repeatedly affected by unfolding events. In February, the US Supreme Court limited the president’s authority to impose tariffs, which had been a significant leverage point for Trump in negotiations with China, the US’s third-largest trading partner.
Further complicating relations, Trump’s joint actions against Iran, launched on 28 February, introduced new tensions with Beijing, which is Iran’s main oil buyer.
Trump’s last visit to China was in 2017, marking the most recent trip by a US president to the country. The upcoming May visit will be the first in-person meeting between Trump and Xi since their October meeting in South Korea, where they agreed on a trade truce.
Details of the Upcoming Visit
The two-day visit will blend the elaborate ceremony that characterizes Trump’s international trips with serious diplomatic discussions. While the two nations may reach goodwill agreements on trade in sectors such as agriculture and airplane parts, they are also expected to address significant areas of tension, including Taiwan, where little progress is anticipated.
During his second term, Trump has significantly increased US arms sales to Taiwan, a move that has angered Beijing, which claims the democratically governed island as its territory.
The ongoing war with Iran, which has unsettled the global economy, may still be unresolved by the time of the Xi-Trump meeting.
Trump has sought support from major global oil consumers, including China, to counter Iran’s attempts to close the Strait of Hormuz. However, his requests have largely been declined. China, which imported approximately 12 million barrels of oil daily during the first two months of 2026—the highest volume worldwide—has not directly responded to Trump’s appeal.
Official Statements on the Rescheduling
When asked on Wednesday whether the war might conclude in time for the China trip, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt responded:
"We’ve always estimated approximately four to six weeks. So you could do the math on that."
Leavitt also confirmed that Trump and Xi discussed rescheduling the visit and that Xi understood the reasons behind the change.
"President Xi understood that it’s very important for the president to be here throughout these combat operations right now,"
she said.
