Donald Trump confirmed plans to visit China in mid-May for talks with Xi Jinping, rescheduling a trip that was delayed amid the recent war involving Iran.
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Trump said he will travel to China on 14–15 May, marking what would be the first visit to the country by a US president in nearly a decade. The meeting comes after the original trip, scheduled for late March, was postponed when the United States and Israel launched strikes on Iran.
The US president also said Xi is expected to visit Washington later in the year. Officials are working to finalise arrangements for both meetings, Trump wrote on the social media platform Truth Social.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the new travel dates, telling reporters that Beijing accepted the postponement request because Trump needed to remain in the United States during the military campaign.
Leavitt said the Chinese leader understood the president’s need to stay in Washington while combat operations were under way.
Iran War Triggered Delay
The planned visit was pushed back after the United States and Israel launched extensive strikes on Iran last month. The attacks killed Iran’s supreme leader and triggered retaliatory actions from Tehran.
Iran subsequently targeted Israel and US-aligned states in the Gulf region and effectively closed the Strait of Hormuz, a vital corridor for global oil and liquefied natural gas shipments.
The disruption caused turmoil in energy markets and prompted warnings of a broader fuel crisis.
Trump urged allies to help restore access to the strait and warned Iran that its energy infrastructure could face further attacks if shipping traffic was not allowed to resume fully.
Asked whether the conflict would subside before the China trip takes place, Leavitt said the White House had estimated the fighting could last roughly four to six weeks.
Diplomatic Stakes for US–China Ties
The upcoming meeting between Trump and Xi will be closely watched as the two countries attempt to manage long-running tensions in trade, technology and geopolitics.
The last time a US president visited China was in November 2017 during Trump’s first term in office.
Trump and Xi most recently met in person last November in South Korea during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit.
Chinese officials have not publicly confirmed the new dates for the visit. Beijing typically avoids announcing the detailed schedule of the Chinese president far in advance.
However, China’s foreign ministry previously said both governments were discussing the timing of a presidential visit.
Chinese state media has also signalled support for greater engagement. An editorial in the state-run Global Times said the long gap since the last US presidential visit to China was unusual and called for expanded exchanges between the two countries.
The commentary argued that cooperation between China and the United States benefits both sides, while confrontation risks losses for each.
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Adapted by ASEAN Now. Source 26 March 2026