U.S. and China discuss potential June summit between Trump and Xi - WSJ

Investing.com -- Preliminary discussions have been initiated between Washington and Beijing about a potential "birthday summit" in June in the U.S., involving President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, as per a report from the Wall Street Journal, citing sources with knowledge of the matter. This comes as the Trump administration intensifies its tariff and other trade actions against China, aiming to bolster its negotiating position with Beijing.

Both Trump and Xi, through their representatives, have shown interest in a summit since Trump’s election victory in November. The recent talks about a potential summit in June, the month of both leaders’ birthdays, indicate a mutual willingness to foster goodwill amidst trade tensions that have caused unease in global markets and businesses.

Xi’s birthday is on June 15, 1953, a day after Trump’s, who was born on June 14, 1946. At this stage, nothing is confirmed, the sources warned. Neither the White House nor the Chinese Embassy have responded to requests for comment.

With mounting economic pressure in China, Beijing is keen to engage in negotiations to avert or at least delay further tariff hikes and technology restrictions from the U.S. China is hopeful that a summit between the two leaders could initiate this process, according to individuals familiar with Beijing’s viewpoint.

Earlier this month, the White House levied an additional 10% in tariffs on China, on top of those set in February, blaming China’s involvement in the U.S. fentanyl crisis. This increased the average duty rate on Chinese imports to approximately 35% from about 14.5% as of 2023. Beijing promptly retaliated with measured tariffs of its own, calibrating its response to avoid exacerbating tensions.

Trump’s trade team is also considering other measures, such as limiting Chinese investment in the U.S. and U.S. investment in China, and targeting industries dominated by China, such as shipbuilding. Further restrictions on the sale of high-tech products to Chinese companies are also being considered. Reviews of the bilateral economic relations, ordered by Trump on his first day in office, are due by early April.

A visit to Washington could pose risks for Xi, as it could portray him as submissive to Trump at a time of increasing pressure. Chinese officials involved in the summit talks are also cautious of any optics similar to the public rebuke of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office on Feb. 28.

This is why Beijing has expressed more interest in inviting Trump to Beijing for a summit, according to the sources. This remains a possibility in the ongoing discussions between the two sides about a leaders’ summit.

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