US President Donald Trump said Monday (October 20) that he plans to travel to China early next year. Speaking to reporters while hosting Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the White House, Trump said, “I’ve been invited to go to China, and I’ll be doing that sometime fairly early next year. We have it sort of set.”
The visit will follow Trump’s first meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping of his second term, which is scheduled during the upcoming Asia-Pacific summit in South Korea later this month.
Focus on “fair” trade deal
Trump emphasized that his priority in meeting Xi will be to negotiate a “fair” trade agreement between the US and China. He also hinted at leveraging other strategic tools, saying he could “threaten China with other things, including airplanes,” and expressed confidence that China will come to the negotiating table on critical minerals.
“I want to be good to China. I love my relationship with President Xi. We have a great relationship,” Trump said, highlighting the personal rapport he maintains with the Chinese leader.
Comments on Taiwan
When asked about Taiwan and whether he would sacrifice US support as part of a deal with China, Trump avoided a direct answer. “I think we’ll be just fine with China. China doesn’t want to do that,” he said, referring to speculation about a potential Chinese invasion.
Trump expressed confidence in US military strength, stating, “We have the best of everything, and nobody’s going to mess with that. And I don’t see that at all with President Xi.” He added, “I think we’re going to get along very well as it pertains to Taiwan and others.”
He declined to comment on reports that Beijing is pressuring Washington to avoid supporting Taiwan’s independence.
