The Chinese regime's foreign ministry has confirmed that U.S. President Donald Trump will visit China this week, marking the first time in nearly a decade that Beijing will host a sitting American president.
At the invitation of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Trump will pay a state visit to China from May 13 to 15, according to a brief statement from China's foreign ministry on May 11.
It's the first official announcement from Beijing about the U.S. president's visit, consistent with the regime's customary practice of releasing its top leader's schedule only shortly before the visit.
US–China Tension Over Iran
Just hours before Beijing's announcement, a senior U.S. official told reporters that the Iran war is among the topics Trump and Xi are expected to discuss at the upcoming summit. The official noted that Trump had spoken multiple times with Xi about Iran and Russia, including the revenue Beijing provides to both regimes.As Tehran's single largest oil buyer and top trading partner, China has come under increasing U.S. scrutiny over its potential aid for Iran during the war.
At a regular briefing on May 11, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Beijing strongly opposes Washington's sanctions, calling them unilateral and lacking a basis in international law.
Separately, the U.S. Treasury Department announced sanctions earlier this month on several Chinese and Hong Kong companies that the Trump administration said were facilitating Tehran's weapons procurement.
Trade
Ahead of the upcoming leaders' summit, top Chinese and U.S. trade negotiators are set to convene in South Korea this week for another round of talks, both sides have confirmed.According to China's commerce ministry, the discussion between He and Bessent will build on the consensus reached during prior calls and meetings between the leaders of the two nations and cover “economic and trade issues of mutual concern.”
Beijing enacted a set of regulations on the last day of March, allowing the authorities to investigate and punish foreign entities that seek to move away from Chinese suppliers to comply with their home countries’ policies.
One of the new measures is the supply chain security regulations, which state that authorities can investigate and impose penalties on foreign companies and individuals engaging in actions deemed discriminatory or harmful to China's supply chain security, such as “suspending normal transactions with Chinese citizens or organizations,” according to the full text published on April 7. Penalties include restrictions on investment, imports, exports, and business transactions with Chinese entities, as well as visa cancellations and exit bans for individuals involved.