For the first time in 11 years: Xi Jinping to meet Trump in the US but skip UN
Photo: Donald Trump and Xi Jinping (Getty Images)
Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to make his first official visit to the United States in 11 years next month. However, he will skip one major political event in New York, Politico states.
According to four people familiar with the Chinese leader's schedule, his trip will not include a visit to New York to address the UN General Assembly.
The UN General Debate is scheduled to begin on September 22. World leaders will gather for a week of speeches and parallel meetings with US government officials.
Instead of attending the UN event, Xi Jinping is expected to limit his US trip to a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on September 24.
"Xi is set to fly in likely late on Sept. 23 — he isn’t doing UNGA — and fly out on the 25th. He’ll really only have one day of meetings at the White House on the 24th," one source said.
Politico reports that the White House confirmed Xi will visit Washington on September 24 but declined to comment on any other possible events on the Chinese leader’s schedule during his US trip.
The idea that Xi Jinping could use his presence at the UN to present China’s plans for peaceful international development as a counterweight to the ongoing US war with Iran has been widely discussed in Washington’s diplomatic community.
"When the Sept. 24 summit date was initially announced, people pointed out that the Chinese may have suggested that date so he could also go to New York City for UNGA," a Washington-based EU diplomat said.
Diplomats in New York also noted that Beijing has not sent an advance team to the city, as would normally be expected ahead of a visit by Xi Jinping.
The outlet added that neither the Chinese Embassy nor the US Mission to the UN in New York had responded to requests for comment.
Xi Jinping last visited New York in 2015, when he addressed the UN General Assembly to mark the 70th anniversary of the United Nations' founding.
What else you need to know
Trump and Xi Jinping last met in May, when the US President visited Beijing.
Donald Trump later said he had discussed the war in Ukraine with the Chinese leader. Media reports also said Trump had personally asked Xi to help bring Russia's war against Ukraine to an end.
