Trump made the comment in an interview with NBC News taped on Wednesday, the same day he and Xi had a wide-ranging conversation. The US president is expected to go to China in April, before Xi visits the United States.
“He’s coming to the White House, yeah — toward the end of the year,” Trump said in the interview, parts of which aired Sunday.
“These are the two most powerful countries in the world and we have a very good relationship.”
Since Trump returned to the White House a year ago, he has been a prolific purveyor of tariffs, unveiling sector-specific levies on steel, autos and other items as well as broader measures to achieve a variety of policy objectives.
The White House has jousted with Beijing on trade but reached a broad truce with China after a major escalation last spring.
Despite moves from the United States intended to lessen its dependence on Chinese manufacturing, the two countries remain deeply entwined economically.
MNA
