White House Says China Agreed to Postpone Bilateral Summit, May Visit in May

[Financial News] The White House announced that China has agreed to postpone U.S. President Donald Trump’s planned visit to China. The White House also indicated that Trump could travel to China in May.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt told reporters on the 18th (local time) that, regarding the delay of the U.S.-China summit, "We are in discussions with them. They have also agreed to postpone the visit." Leavitt added that China "appears to understand the president’s reasons for requesting a delay."
She said, "We are currently working out the specific schedule," and explained, "The president has domestic matters to handle and events to attend in May. President Xi Jinping of China will also be very busy, so we will finalize the schedule as soon as possible."
Trump, who reignited a trade war with China last year, met Xi in Busan in October and agreed to temporarily halt the trade conflict. Following his visit to Busan, Trump announced the next month that he would visit China. According to White House officials last month, Trump had been scheduled to visit China from March 31 to April 2. It would have been his first trip to China in about nine years, since November 2017 during his first term.
However, after Trump launched a war against the Islamic Republic of Iran on the 28th of last month, he told reporters at the White House on the 16th that he had "asked [China] for about a one-month delay" to the U.S.-China summit. He explained, "I would like to visit China, but because of the war with Iran I want to be here in the United States, and I need to be here."
Lin Jian, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, was asked at a regular briefing on the 17th whether the United States had requested to postpone the summit. He replied, "China and the United States are maintaining communication regarding the U.S. president’s visit to China." On when the request was made and on a new date for the summit, he said, "At this moment, we have no additional information to provide."
On the 17th, ahead of his summit with the Taoiseach (Prime Minister of Ireland) at the White House, Trump also commented on his trip to China. He said, "We are rescheduling the meeting, and it looks like it will take place in about five weeks." He went on, "We are trying to hold the summit in about five or six weeks."
Trump said, "We are working with China, and they were fine with it"—referring to the postponement of the summit schedule. "I look forward to meeting with President Xi, and I think he does as well," he added. Trump emphasized, "We have a very good relationship with China and are in a very good position economically," describing it as "a very good partnership, very different from the past."
pjw@fnnews.com Reporter Park Jong-won Reporter