Trump: U.S. and China in ''Friendly Competition,'' Looks Forward to Meeting Xi Jinping

U.S. President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Beijing in mid-May to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump stated today that he looks forward to the meeting, noting that a ''friendly competition'' exists between the U.S. and China, and described the upcoming visit as a ''very important trip.'' Trump is expected to visit China from May 14 to 15 for a summit with Xi, marking their first bilateral meeting since they last met in Busan, South Korea, in October. During a White House event today, Trump remarked on the U.S. leading China in the field of Artificial Intelligence, saying, ''I''m going to see President Xi in two weeks. I look forward to that meeting, but I will say, I am in the lead.'' He emphasized the relationship is a ''very friendly competition.'' This visit comes as high-level communication continues; Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke on April 30, with Wang labeling the ''Taiwan issue'' as the greatest risk to U.S.-China relations. Additionally, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer spoke with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, with both sides reportedly expressing dissatisfaction with each other''s trade policies. Meanwhile, a bipartisan group of U.S. Senators introduced a resolution last week expressing concerns over China''s threat to U.S. national security and economic prosperity, calling for strengthened deterrence in the Indo-Pacific and the maintenance of peace in the Taiwan Strait.