White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt made the announcement on the summit during a press briefing, as Washington seeks to address a series of issues with Beijing, including trade in agricultural products and critical minerals, to name a few, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
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"I'm pleased to announce that President Trump's meeting and a long-awaited meeting with President Xi in China will now take place in Beijing on May 14th and 15th," Leavitt said.
"First Lady Melania and President Trump will also host President Xi and Madam Peng for a reciprocal visit in Washington, D.C. at a later date to be announced this year," she added.
Asked if there was a precondition for the rescheduling of the summit with regard to the Middle East conflict, Leavitt said, "No."
"There was a discussion about the rescheduling of the meeting between the president and President Xi. President Xi understood that it's very important for the president to be here throughout these combat operations right now," she said.
"He understood, obviously, the request to postpone and accepted it, which is why we have new dates on the books, and I am happy to announce those to you today."
After the delay in Trump's trip to China, which had reportedly been set for March 31-April 2, speculation had swirled that his visit to the Asian country could take place after the war with Iran winds down.
The Trump administration is currently seeking to find an off-ramp from the war, as concerns are deepening over the economic ramifications of the war against Iran ahead of the crucial midterm elections, where control of Congress is at stake. (Yonhap)
