Trump extends White House invitation to Xi for September visit

US President Donald Trump on Thursday, May 14, invited Chinese President Xi Jinping to visit the White House on September 24, extending the offer during a state banquet hosted by Xi in Beijing.

"It is my honour to extend an invitation to you and Madame Peng to visit us at the White House this September 24, and we look forward to it," Trump said.

If the visit takes place, it would mark Xi’s first trip to the White House since September 2015, when he met then-US President Barack Obama.

Trump arrived in Beijing on the evening of May 13 and is scheduled to remain in China until Friday, May 15. 

The discussions between the two leaders covered a broad range of issues, including the Iran war, trade and export controls, tensions over Taiwan, and developments in artificial intelligence.

Trump is accompanied by a delegation of prominent US business leaders, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Apple CEO Tim Cook and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. The visit has raised expectations that the US president may help secure commercial agreements, particularly in sectors such as aircraft and US agricultural exports.

By Tamilla Hasanova