He has repeatedly expressed an eagerness to speak with the Chinese leader. Read more at straitstimes.com. Read more at straitstimes.com.
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Donald Trump says he’s willing to travel to China to meet Xi Jinping
The US president in his second term has repeatedly expressed an eagerness to speak with the Chinese leader.PHOTO: AFP
WASHINGTON - US President Donald Trump said he would be willing to travel to China to speak with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping about foreign policy and economic issues.
“I would certainly,” Mr Trump said when asked if he wanted to visit Mr Xi on a foreign trip during an interview with Fox News that aired on May 16, adding that the relationship between China and the US was “important”.
Mr Trump has repeatedly expressed an eagerness to speak with the Chinese leader. Earlier in the week, he predicted the two might talk by phone after their deputies negotiated
a temporary truce in the trade war that was sparked by Mr Trump imposing dramatic tariffs on Chinese goods.
Under that 90-day agreement, the US reduced levies on Chinese imports from 145 per cent to 30 per cent, while Chinese duties on US goods fell to 10 per cent.
Despite signalling an eagerness to reach out to the Chinese leader, Mr Trump portrayed his just-completed visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates as designed to keep the countries outside of Beijing’s sphere of influence.
“They were going to China, and that was going to be their parent, and that’s not happening,” he said of the three Arab states. He added that the trio were “very important to keep in our fold”. BLOOMBERG