Trump-Xi summit: US trade chief casts doubt on pre-meeting Beijing visit

Washington’s top trade negotiator suggested on Tuesday that, in a break from usual practice, members of US President Donald Trump’s cabinet will not visit Beijing ahead of the expected mid-May summit with President Xi Jinping to prepare or discuss deliverables.

“I don’t think we’re going to need to do that,” Jamieson Greer, US Trade Representative, said in an interview with Bloomberg Television when asked about meeting his Chinese counterparts soon, ahead of the much-anticipated leaders’ meeting.

“I do expect cabinet officials to travel to China ahead of time,” spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said at a press briefing on Monday. “This is something we typically do.”

Last week, Leavitt announced that Trump will be visiting China on May 14 and 15. The trip was originally scheduled for March 31 to April 2, but was postponed citing the ongoing US-Israel war against Iran. Beijing has not officially announced any dates for the summit.

Experts have noted that the delay in the summit could give both sides more time to produce concrete deliverables, as a lack of preparation contributed to the postponement, and the US works to secure a ceasefire with Iran.