President Donald Trump has reiterated the possibility of Chinese President Xi Jinping visiting the United States in late September, signaling a potential revival of high-level diplomacy between the two nations after a four-month hiatus. The push for mutual visits this year reflects a desire to manage U.S.-China relations amid ongoing competition.
According to Bloomberg, Trump stated during a press conference at the White House on June 6 that he expects Xi to visit around September 24. This marks the first time Trump has specified a date for Xi's potential visit, having previously mentioned the possibility of inviting him to the U.S. in September.
The timing coincides with the high-level week of the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York, raising the likelihood that Xi may meet with Trump in Washington, D.C. The Chinese government has yet to officially announce Xi's attendance at the UN General Assembly or his travel plans. Xi last attended the assembly in person in 2015.
During a U.S.-China summit in May, which followed Trump's visit to China, both countries made some progress on tariff issues and expressed a mutual understanding of the need to manage tensions over international issues, including the situation in the Middle East.
Since then, there have been further signals indicating a desire to improve relations. Recently, Xi sent an unusual congratulatory message to Trump on the occasion of the 250th anniversary of American independence, which the Hong Kong South China Morning Post interpreted as a diplomatic gesture aimed at stabilizing bilateral relations. Earlier this month, China released Jin Mingru (Korean name Kim Myung-il), a pastor of Korean descent who had been detained during a crackdown on underground churches last October. This release came about two months after Trump requested Jin's release during the May summit.
Jeffrey Lewis, director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, told The New York Times that Jin's release suggests progress on relatively easier issues in U.S.-China relations, potentially indicating a move to improve ties ahead of the next summit. However, he cautioned that technology restrictions and trade issues remain unresolved challenges.
Indeed, significant issues persist between the U.S. and China, including the Taiwan issue, advanced technology controls, and trade imbalances. Recently, military and security tensions have continued to escalate.
On June 6, China test-fired a JL-3 submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) from a strategic nuclear submarine into the Pacific Ocean. This test marked the first strategic missile test aimed at the Pacific since the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in September 2024, raising concerns among neighboring countries such as Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.
While the Chinese government emphasized that the test was a routine military action not aimed at any specific country or target, experts analyzed it as a demonstration of nuclear deterrence directed at the U.S. and its allies, as well as a response to the ongoing Rim of the Pacific Exercise (RIMPAC).
Lewis noted that China may accelerate testing of weapons capable of carrying nuclear warheads in the coming years, suggesting a willingness to accept the political costs associated with ICBM launches, a departure from its previous restraint in long-range missile tests due to concerns about backlash from major powers, including the U.S.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.