WASHINGTON, March 25 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump will visit China for a state visit with Chinese President Xi Jinping on May 14 and 15, and Xi will visit Washington for a reciprocal visit at a later date, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Wednesday.
The visit had originally been slated for next week, but it was delayed amid the ongoing U.S.-Israeli war on Iran. Leavitt said Xi understood the need to reschedule the trip.
“I’m pleased to announce that President Trump’s meeting and long-awaited meeting with President Xi in China will now take place in Beijing on May 14th and 15th,” Leavitt said at a press briefing.
“First Lady Melania and President Trump will also host President Xi and Madame Peng for a reciprocal visit in Washington, DC, at a later date to be announced this year.”
Trump’s last trip to China, in 2017, was the most recent by a U.S. president. Trump’s visit will be the leaders’ first in-person talks since an October meeting in South Korea, where they agreed on a trade truce.
(Reporting by Nandita Bose and Gram Slattery; Editing by Chris Reese)
