A White House official confirmed the trip just before the US Supreme Court rejected many broad tariffs imposed by President Trump on imported goods within the framework of the global trade war, including tariffs targeting China.
Exchanges between President Donald Trump and General Secretary and President of China Xi Jinping in Beijing are expected to revolve around extending the trade truce agreement to avoid escalating tariffs. Bilateral relations have recently stabilized after Mr. Trump reduced tariffs on China in exchange for measures from Beijing, including tightening control over illegal fentanyl and temporarily suspending restrictions on exports of important minerals.
The US Supreme Court ruled that Mr. Trump had exceeded his authority when imposing a 20% tariff on Chinese exports to the US under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act related to the fentanyl emergency and trade imbalance. Other tariffs applied under Section 301 and Section 232 are still in effect. President Trump said he would impose a new global tariff of 10% for 150 days, but it is unclear how much tariff he will restore that has been cancelled.
The upcoming meeting will be the first direct exchange between the two leaders since the October meeting in South Korea, where they agreed to a trade truce. Mr. Xi Jinping also said he would consider increasing soybean purchases, according to Mr. Trump's statement. China is the largest soybean consumer, while US farmers are an important group of voters for Mr. Trump.
The most recent visit of a US President to China took place in 2017. President Trump told foreign leaders in Washington that the upcoming trip "will be very exciting". The Chinese Embassy in Washington has not responded and Beijing has not confirmed the visit.
