Washington Update

This week, the United States and China affirmed that President Donald Trump’s visit to China is expected to go ahead despite mixed signals from the administration over China’s relationship with Iran. Trump on Tuesday met with US Ambassador to China David Perdue in Washington to discuss summit planning, but no details have been shared.

Speaking at the Hudson Institute on Tuesday, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer outlined some of the key anticipated deliverables for President Donald Trump’s visit to China next month. Greer reaffirmed that the United States would push for a board of trade with China to identify non-sensitive sectors for bilateral trade.

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will not meet  his Chinese counterparts again ahead of President Donald Trump’s mid-May state visit to China. In an interview on Tuesday, Greer touted progress on agenda-setting for the trip during bilateral talks in Paris early last month, adding that communication was ongoing.

The White House on Wednesday announced that President Donald Trump will visit Beijing from May 14 to 15. The trip was originally scheduled for late this month. According to the announcement, President Xi Jinping will make a “reciprocal visit” to the United States later this year. China has not made its own announcement.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday confirmed that his state visit to China, originally scheduled for the end of March, would be pushed back by “five to six weeks.” China has not confirmed a new timeframe and said it is in communication with the United States on the visit. While the delay means there’s more time to develop deliverables, it also injects uncertainty in the bilateral relationship.

Key details on the agenda and deliverables for President Donald Trump’s trip to China early next month remain unclear as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer prepare to meet with China’s Vice Premier He Lifeng in Paris over Sunday and Monday.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer will reportedly meet with China’s Vice Premier He Lifeng in Paris next week to discuss preparations for President Donald Trump’s visit to China later this month. The talks signal that summit planning remains on track.

The Supreme Court last Friday ruled six-to-three against President Donald Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) to impose tariffs on global trade partners. The Trump administration complied with the decision and on Tuesday began imposing a new 10% global tariff using Section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974. The change provides relief to China, which previously faced an IEEPA rate of 20% (10% reciprocal, 10% fentanyl). The ruling did not address the question of tariff refunds, which is likely to be handled by lower courts.

The Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council (FAR) on Tuesday proposed a new rule that would require federal contractors to certify that their products do not contain certain covered semiconductor products linked to foreign adversaries starting in December 2027.

President Donald Trump will visit China the first week of April to meet with President Xi Jinping, Politico reported on Monday. With just a month and a half to go, the administration’s specific objectives for the trip remain unclear. Trump said last week that he had spoken with Xi about renewed commitments to purchase US energy and potentially agriculture, offering no additional information.