BEIJING: Donald Trump was due in Beijing Wednesday on the first visit to China by a US president in nearly a decade, as he seeks to ramp up trade despite potential friction over Taiwan and Iran.
Leaving Washington on Tuesday on a trip that was delayed by his war, Trump said he expected a “long talk” with counterpart Xi Jinping about Iran, which relies on China as the top customer for its US-sanctioned oil.
But he also played down disagreements on Iran, saying that Xi has been “relatively good, to be honest with you”.
“I don’t think we need any help with Iran. We’ll win it one way or the other. We’ll win it peacefully or otherwise,” Trump told reporters as he left the White House.
This week’s trip — the first since Trump visited in 2017 — will involve high-stakes talks with Xi on Thursday and Friday, during a packed itinerary that includes a state banquet and tea reception.
Trump said Monday that he would speak to Xi about US arms sales to Taiwan, the self-governing democracy claimed by China — a departure from historic US insistence that it will not consult Beijing on its support to the island.
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