By Blessing Nweke
US President Donald Trump has confirmed he will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping in China on 14–15 May, rescheduling a high-profile trip that was postponed due to the ongoing US-Israel conflict with Iran.
The visit, now set to take place nearly a month later than planned, will mark the first time in almost a decade that a sitting US president travels to China. Trump also announced that Xi is expected to visit Washington, DC later this year, with preparations for both engagements underway.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Beijing had accepted the delay, noting that Xi understood Trump’s need to remain in the United States during active military operations. The trip had initially been scheduled for 31 March.
The postponement followed a major escalation in the Middle East after US and Israeli strikes on Iran reportedly killed the country’s supreme leader, triggering retaliation across the region. Iran responded by targeting Israel and US-aligned Gulf states, while also shutting down the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a vital corridor for global oil and gas supplies. The disruption has contributed to a sharp global fuel crisis.
Trump has urged allies to help reopen the waterway and warned Tehran of further strikes on its energy infrastructure if access is not restored.
Despite the tensions, officials suggested the conflict could ease within weeks. Leavitt indicated the administration had projected a four-to-six-week timeline for de-escalation.
The upcoming Trump-Xi meeting will be closely watched amid longstanding tensions over trade, technology, and geopolitics, with analysts looking for signs of renewed cooperation between the world’s two largest economies.
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