- Trump anticipates significant deals from Chinese President Xi’s visit.
- Discussions will cover trade, AI, and current tariff truce.
- Taiwan, fentanyl, and detained Americans are sensitive topics.
US President Donald Trump has said Washington is “doing very well with China” and indicated that he expects several agreements to be discussed when Chinese President Xi Jinping visits the White House this week.
Speaking in the Oval Office, Trump said he had maintained a good relationship with Xi and suggested that the two leaders would hold significant discussions during the Chinese president’s first White House visit in more than a decade.
“We’re doing very well with China. I would say others maybe not so well, but we’re doing very well with China. And President Xi and I have a good relationship. We’re going to have a lot of different deals,” Trump said.
“We intend – we’re not just doing it for our health. We’re going to have some pretty important meetings,” he added.
Trump Recalls 145% Tariff Rate
Trump also referred to the tariff relationship between Washington and Beijing, recalling that US tariffs on Chinese goods had at one point reached 145 per cent before being reduced.
“China is paying us a lot of tariffs. And, you remember, I had it up to 145% at one point, but it was too much. It was really hurting them badly, and I didn’t want to do that,” he said.
Xi’s visit comes after Trump’s trip to Beijing in May, where Xi hosted the US president at the Great Hall of the People. The two leaders agreed at the time to what they described as a “constructive, strategic and stable relationship”.
ALSO READ: Trump Signs Russia Sanctions Bill Into Law, Paves Way For Up To 100% Tariffs On India, China
Trade, Chips And AI On Agenda
Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, are scheduled to arrive at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday, where Trump will greet them.
The following day, the two couples are expected to attend a formal White House arrival ceremony and military review before Trump and Xi hold bilateral talks. Melania Trump and Peng will have a separate programme of engagements in Washington.
Trump is also scheduled to host a state dinner for the Chinese delegation in the East Room that evening.
The visit is expected to focus on trade, artificial intelligence and Taiwan, with the future of the current US-China tariff truce also set to be discussed.
The tariff truce, agreed at the Busan summit last October, is due to expire in November. US officials said discussions would also cover existing chip export licences.
Washington has ruled out trading away its export controls on rare earth flows in exchange for concessions, while talks are continuing over possible tariff reductions on a narrow range of “non-strategic” goods.
AI is another expected area of discussion. Officials have considered ideas such as allowing the two countries to preview new AI models and extending oversight to Chinese open-source systems, although no firm agreement has been reached.
Fentanyl, Prisoners And Taiwan
Washington is also continuing to press Beijing over the flow of fentanyl precursor chemicals to cartels in Mexico.
Trump is expected to again raise the cases of Americans held in Chinese prisons, based on his previous engagements with Beijing.
Taiwan remains one of the most sensitive issues in the US-China relationship. Beijing has previously warned Washington against crossing what it calls its “red lines” on Taiwan.
A reported $14 billion US arms package for Taiwan could also complicate the summit, although American officials did not directly address the issue during their briefing.
ALSO READ: PM Modi Speaks To UAE President Sheikh Mohamed Amid West Asia Tensions
Xi Visit Carries Wider Economic Implications
For India and other economies watching the meeting, the outcome could have implications beyond the US and China.
Any lasting improvement in US-China trade relations, or renewed tensions over tariffs, chips and rare earths, could affect global supply chains, technology markets and commodity prices with consequences for Indian industry.
The two leaders are also expected to meet later this year at the APEC summit in November and the G20 in December, meaning the upcoming White House talks are likely to be followed by further high-level engagement.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: abplive.com
