WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump heads to China this week for a highly anticipated visit with President Xi Jinping, on a mission to rebalance the United States relationship with China while prioritizing “reciprocity and fairness,” a White House official shared on a call with reporters on Sunday afternoon.
The president will arrive in China on Wednesday evening, White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly shared Sunday, and on Thursday morning, he will participate in a welcome ceremony and a bilateral meeting with President Xi Jinping. That afternoon, Trump will tour the Temple of Heavens with President Xi, and that evening, he will participate in a state banquet.
On Friday morning, Trump will participate in a bilateral tea and working lunch with President Xi before Trump and his delegation return home. The White House expects to host President Xi and his wife, Madam Peng Liyuan, for a reciprocal visit in D.C. later this year.
During the Sunday afternoon call with reporters, Kelly stressed that Trump’s meeting with Xi would advance American safety, security, and prosperity with “a clear eyed view of the economic and security realities of today.”
“During this visit, President Trump will continue doing what he has done over the past year,” Kelly said, “rebalancing the relationship with China and prioritizing reciprocity and fairness to restore American economic independence.”
Air Force One, with US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump on board, arrives at Beijing airport on November 8, 2017. (Photo by THOMAS PETER/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
While the visit will hold “tremendous symbolic significance,” Trump never travels for symbolism alone, the White House deputy press secretary stressed.
Trump will be focused on securing deals for Americans, agreements that will “further rebalance trade with China while putting American workers, farmers, and families 1st and safeguarding US economic strength in national security.”
“Topics are expected to include continued work on a U.S. China Board of Trade and U.S. China Board of Investments,” Kelly said. “The board of trade will allow the United States and China to manage trade between the government of the United States and government of China across non-sensitive goods. The Board of Investment will provide a government to government forum for discussing investment related issues.”
“The two sides will also discuss additional agreements on industry spanning aerospace agriculture and energy,” she added.
The president will also potentially touch on artificial intelligence in his conversations with Xi, as well as China’s nuclear program, the war with Iran, and more, Trump officials shared Sunday afternoon.
Trump has already promised that he will talk to Xi about the plight of Jimmy Lai, a Catholic media tycoon unjustly imprisoned by the Chinese government, and Pastor Ezra Jin, also unjustly imprisoned. The Daily Wire first reported Friday that the White House is monitoring Chinese persecution of Christians and religious minority groups in China, according to a letter sent to senators from the State Department.
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