U.S. President Trump stated on the 16th that he had proposed to the Chinese side to postpone his originally scheduled visit to China at the end of this month by about one month. On the 17th, he further said that he would delay his visit to China because he needed to stay in the U.S. to handle the conflict with Iran, planning instead to depart for China in 5 to 6 weeks, and noted that China had no objection to this. U.S. media cited sources as saying that China is willing to postpone the China-U.S. presidential summit.
This would be Trump's first visit to China since taking office 14 months ago. The trip was originally scheduled for March 31 to April 2 in Beijing. While meeting with visiting Irish Prime Minister Martin at the White House, Trump responded to reporters' questions by saying that both sides are rescheduling their meeting, and that the U.S. is working with China to set a new visit in about 5 to 6 weeks, although the White House has not disclosed a specific date. Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in the U.S., responded that the two sides have maintained communication regarding Trump's visit, including the visit dates, and has nothing further to add at present.
According to informed sources cited by U.S. media, China is willing to postpone the China-U.S. leaders' summit, partly because the original preparation time was tight, and also due to concerns that uncertainty over the war with Iran might create an awkward situation during the meeting. U.S. media pointed out that China was already dissatisfied with the U.S. side's lack of full preparation for what could be a milestone summit, and that Trump's latest decision is not seen as a setback for Beijing; it may actually suit their needs, giving them the chance to make new arrangements.