Trump to Visit China from March 31 to April 2: White House

Trump’s volatile foreign policy approach has prompted China to engage with a range of world leaders in recent months, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.

Both leaders represent traditional US allies and had not visited China since the Covid-19 pandemic. However, dynamics have shifted amid Trump’s push to acquire Greenland, the imposition of tariffs on the European Union, and pressure on the bloc to increase defence spending.

In broader discussions at global forums such as the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Western leaders have openly acknowledged that the US-backed post-1945 international order is facing challenges — a perspective that aligns in part with China’s longstanding view.

During his visit — the first by a Canadian prime minister since 2017 — Carney eased strict tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles that Canada had imposed in coordination with the US. In return, China agreed to reduce trade barriers on Canadian agricultural products, according to CNN.

Separately, Beijing and the European Union recently softened their stance and agreed to replace tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles with commitments to maintain minimum pricing levels, CNN reported.

Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Politico that relations between the US and China have reached a “very good equilibrium,” making it less likely that disagreements will escalate into full-scale economic conflict as seen last year.

Bessent added that President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping could meet as many as four times this year and maintain a productive rapport.

“When the leaders are setting the tone for the overall relationship, if there are glitches, if there are hiccups, then they can jump on phone calls and de-escalate very quickly,” he said, as quoted by Politico.