China's Xi may visit US in not-too-distant future: Donald Trump
US and Chinese officials are reportedly discussing a possible summit in June.
US President Donald Trump on Monday said that Chinese leader Xi Jinping would visit Washington “soon” amid brewing trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies.
“He’ll be coming in the not too distant future,” Trump said, according to the Associated Press.
Earlier, a report in the Wall Street Journal said that US and Chinese officials were discussing a possible summit in June. If it happens, it would be the first meeting between Trump and Xi since the Republican leader returned to the White House.
The talks about the meeting come as Trump has ramped up a trade fight with China, raising tariffs on imports from the country to 20%.
Also Read | Washington ‘used fentanyl issue’: China accuses US of ‘blackmail’ over Trump's tariff threat
This, according to Trump, is in response to Beijing’s failure to crack down on the flow of illegal fentanyl and the precursor chemicals used to make it.
China, on the other hand, has accused Trump of using fentanyl as a pretext to raise tariffs. Beijing has also implemented retaliatory tariffs on US products.
“The US is spreading all kinds of false information on the fentanyl issue, smearing and scapegoating China, and hiking tariffs on Chinese imports over fentanyl. Such moves are unjustified and will do no one good,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on March 5.
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“We firmly oppose the US pressuring, threatening and blackmailing China under the pretext of the fentanyl issue. We urge the US to respect facts, bear in mind its own interest and make the right choice,” Lin had added.
Discussions between the two countries on trade and other issues are stuck at lower levels, with both sides deadlocked on how to proceed.
Beijing claims that Washington has not outlined any detailed steps they expect from China on fentanyl in order to have the tariffs lifted, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the issue.
(Inputs from agencies)
