Trump says he’s willing to travel to China for Xi meeting

The US president in his second term has repeatedly expressed an eagerness to speak with the Chinese leader.

US President Donald Trump said he would be willing to travel to China to speak with Xi Jinping about foreign policy and economic issues.

“I would certainly,” Trump said when asked if he wanted to visit Xi on a foreign trip during an interview with Fox News that aired Friday, adding that the relationship between China and the US was “important.”

The US president in his second term has repeatedly expressed an eagerness to speak with the Chinese leader. Earlier in the week, he predicted the two might talk by phone after their deputies negotiated a temporary truce in the trade war that was sparked by Trump imposing dramatic tariffs on Chinese goods.

Under that 90-day agreement, the US reduced levies on Chinese imports from 145% to 30%, while Chinese duties on US goods fell to 10%.

Despite signaling an eagerness to reach out to the Chinese leader, Trump portrayed his just-completed visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates as designed to keep the countries outside of Beijing’s sphere of influence.

“They were going to China, and that was going to be their parent, and that’s not happening,” Trump said of the three Arab states. He added that the nations were “very important to keep in our fold.”