US President Donald Trump will pay a three-day state visit to China at the invitation of President Xi Jinping, the Foreign Ministry announced on Monday.

The confirmation by Beijing came hours after US officials said the "symbolic" summit from May 13 to 15 will focus on easing trade tensions between the world's two biggest economies, while Trump will also discuss the Iran war with President Xi.

Trump's first trip to China in his second term will feature pomp and ceremony, including a tour of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing and a lavish state banquet, the White House said.

Other topics including tariffs and the race for AI technology and critical minerals are also set to come up in the meeting between the two leaders.

"This will be a visit of tremendous symbolic significance," White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly told reporters on a call.

Trump's visit would focus on "rebalancing the relationship with China and prioritising reciprocity and fairness to restore American economic independence", Kelly said.

Trump will arrive in Beijing on Wednesday evening for the visit, which he originally postponed in March due to the ongoing Iran war.

There will be a welcome ceremony and a bilateral meeting with Xi on Thursday morning, followed by a visit to the Temple of Heaven that afternoon and a state banquet in the evening, said Kelly.

Trump and Xi will then have a bilateral tea and working lunch on Friday before the US leader returns to Washington.

President Xi and his wife are expected to pay a reciprocal visit to Washington later in 2026, Kelly added.

But with Trump still seeking an end to the Iran war launched by the United States and Israel on February 28, the US president will also seek to push Tehran's ally Beijing to help.

"I would expect the president to apply pressure" over Iran, a senior Trump administration official told reporters on condition of anonymity when asked if the US president would pressure Xi on the subject.

The US and China are also set to discuss extending a year-long trade truce, which the two leaders agreed last October in South Korea.

A second US official was cagey when asked about whether an extension was likely to be agreed on Trump's trip.

"It's not clear yet if that's going to be extended now, or something to be extended later. We are in pretty frequent contact with the Chinese on this," the official told reporters.

"I think what both sides want is stability." (Xinhua/AFP)



Edited by Cecil Wong