China’s foreign ministry confirms dates, site of Xi-Trump summit
Presidents scheduled to meet a Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida
President Xi Jinping will meet with his US counterpart Donald Trump at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on April 6 and 7, the Chinese foreign ministry announced on Thursday.
Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said in a brief statement that Xi would visit Finland on April 4 through 6, before flying to Florida.
The statement did not provide details of the agenda or arrangements for the Mar-a-Lago summit.
The summit will be the first time the two leaders meet. US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson helped to lay the groundwork for the summit during meetings in Beijing with Xi and China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi on March 18 and 19.
Trump has largely ceased the antagonistic approach he took toward China during and immediately after the US presidential campaign, including his questioning of the one-China policy, a central tenet of stable US-China relations, and his threats to label China a currency manipulator. Analysts say this could help set the stage for a productive meeting.