Exclusive | Chinese President Xi Jinping to meet top US delegation on Friday in pursuit of trade war deal
- US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin arrive in Beijing as the March 1 truce deadline looms
- If confirmed, meeting between Xi and Washington’s top trade envoys would be sign of goodwill to cement trade deal between world’s two biggest economies
China’s President Xi Jinping “is scheduled to meet” key members of the US trade talks delegation, including US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, in Beijing on Friday, according to sources close to the matter.
“Xi is scheduled to meet both Lighthizer and Mnuchin on Friday,” one source briefed on the arrangements told the South China Morning Post.
A second source said Xi was expected to meet the US delegation in Beijing this week, although the specific time had not been confirmed.
In addition, a banquet would be hosted for the US delegation in “a Chinese cuisine restaurant” in downtown Beijing later this week, with Chinese Vice-Premier Liu He expected to toast the US delegates, the first source added.
Liu, who is China’s top trade negotiator, met US President Donald Trump in the White House at the end of January.