KABUL: U.S. President Donald Trump has departed for Beijing at the head of a delegation for a three-day visit and talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The Associated Press reported that Trump left Washington for Beijing on Tuesday U.S. time ahead of meetings scheduled from Wednesday through Friday.
According to the report, Trump said trade would be the primary focus of his discussions with the Chinese leader.
“We are two superpowers,” Trump told reporters before departing Washington. “Militarily, we are the strongest country on Earth, and China is in second place.”
Iran, a key regional ally of China, had been expected to feature among the topics of discussion between Trump and Xi. However, the U.S. president downplayed the issue before leaving for Beijing.
“We have many things to talk about,” Trump said. “But honestly, I don’t think Iran will be one of them, because we have the Iran situation completely under control.”
The report noted that Trump’s visit comes at a sensitive moment for his presidency, as his popularity faces pressure amid the conflict involving the United States, Israel, and Iran, as well as rising domestic inflation.
China’s Foreign Ministry had previously announced that Trump would be in Beijing from May 13 to May 15.