President Trump, who spent months on the campaign trail criticizing China’s trade practices, is planning to host Chinese President Xi Jinping soon, a White House spokesman said Monday.
“Planning is ongoing” with respect to the timing and location, press secretary Sean Spicer said.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will discuss plans for a Trump-Xi during his visit to China this week, Spicer added.
Making trade policy a major part of his campaign, Trump accused Chinese of manipulating its currency and essentially stealing American jobs.
Shortly after the election, Trump spoke with the president of Taiwan in a move that appeared to question the United States’ long-standing “One China” policy that recognizes only the Beijing regime as the nation’s true government.
Another topic of the upcoming meeting: North Korea’s nuclear weapons and missile developments.
In a Feb. 9 statement on their phone call, the White House said that Trump and Xi invited each other to their respective countries.
“President Trump and President Xi look forward to further talks with very successful outcomes,” the statement said.
Source: USA TODAY
