Trump to meet Xi Jinping in May
What's the story
United States President Donald Trump has announced a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in May. The meeting, which will take place on May 14 and 15, was originally scheduled for March but was postponed due to the ongoing conflict between the US-Israel alliance and Iran. This will be Trump's first visit to China in nearly a decade.
Official confirmation
Beijing yet to confirm Trump's visit
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the new dates for Trump's visit and said that President Xi had accepted the request to postpone. "President Xi understood that it's very important for the president to be here throughout these combat operations right now," Leavitt said at a press briefing on Wednesday. However, Beijing has not publicly confirmed these dates as it usually doesn't disclose Xi's schedule far in advance.
Diplomatic tensions
US-Iran war triggers global fuel crisis
The trip was delayed after the US and Israel launched extensive strikes on Iran last month, resulting in the death of its supreme leader. In retaliation, Iran attacked Israel and US-allied states in the Gulf, blocking the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial passage for global oil and LNG. The conflict has triggered a worldwide fuel crisis.
Fuel crisis
US allies asked to reopen Strait of Hormuz
Trump has called on US allies to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz and threatened Iran with attacks on its energy production infrastructure if full access isn't restored. When asked if the conflict would be resolved by Trump's visit, Leavitt said they had "always estimated approximately four to six weeks, so you can do the math on that."