US President Donald Trump confirmed he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in China on 14–15 May, after postponing the trip due to the ongoing US-Israel conflict with Iran.
The visit will be the first by a US president to China in almost ten years. Trump also plans to host Xi in Washington later this year, with officials finalizing preparations for both historic meetings. He announced the schedule on Truth Social on Wednesday.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said President Xi accepted the request to delay the trip. “President Xi understood that it’s very important for the president to remain here during these combat operations,” Leavitt stated.
Beijing has not formally confirmed the dates, as it typically does not release Xi’s schedule far in advance. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said, “Both sides are maintaining communication regarding President Trump’s visit to China,” emphasizing that leader-level diplomacy plays a strategic guiding role in bilateral relations.
Trump’s China trip was originally scheduled for 31 March but was postponed after US and Israeli strikes on Iran killed the country’s supreme leader. Iran retaliated by targeting Israel and US allies in the Gulf and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil and liquefied natural gas. Trump has urged allies to help reopen the strait and warned Iran against blocking energy exports.
Leavitt noted that the Iran conflict may last approximately four to six weeks, potentially aligning with Trump’s new travel dates.
The last US presidential visit to China occurred in November 2017 during Trump’s first term. Trump and Xi last met in October 2025 in South Korea during the APEC summit. The upcoming trip will be closely watched amid ongoing trade, technology, and geopolitical tensions between the US and China.
