Donald Trump meets with top Chinese envoy Yang Jiechi as hopes for Xi Jinping summit build
State Councillor Yang Jiechi expected to lay the foundation for meeting between Xi and Trump
Top Chinese envoy Yang Jiechi met with US President Donald Trump in the White House, the official Xinhua news agency reported.
Yang was visiting the United States in hopes to lay the groundwork for a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart Donald Trump that could come as early as May.
According to the Xinhua report published on Tuesday morning Beijing time, Trump told Yang that both sides needs to increase “high-level” exchanges and to increase cooperation in international affairs.
US Vice-President Mike Pence and Trump’s the son-in-law Jared Kushner were also at the meeting, Xinhua said.
Analysts said the trip would also allow officials on both sides to put Sino-US relations on a workmanlike footing after a period of deep uncertainty since Trump took office last month.
During his two-day visit, Yang would exchange views on ties with high-level US officials and discuss other areas of common concern, foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said, without specifying who he would meet.