"U.S. And China To Discuss Extending 'Trade Truce' At April Summit"

SCMP: Talks to Focus on Short-Term Economic Outcomes Such as U.S. Soybeans

There is a forecast that U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will extend the U.S.-China trade truce for another year at their summit to be held in early April in Beijing.

The South China Morning Post (SCMP) in Hong Kong reported on the 12th, citing sources, that extending the truce is emerging as a realistic and feasible agenda item. In particular, the outlet projected that the summit will focus on short-term economic outcomes, with the core agenda expected to include China’s pledge to purchase additional U.S. soybeans. The two leaders agreed at the Busan summit in October last year to halt high tariffs and retaliatory trade measures targeting each other’s countries.

U.S. President Donald Trump (left) and Chinese President Xi Jinping are leaving the venue after concluding a summit last October at Naraemaru inside the Air Force 5th Air Mobility Wing in Busan. Yonhap News

After holding his first phone call of the year with President Xi on the 4th (local time), President Trump stated on his social media that China had agreed to increase its soybean purchases this season to 20 million tons and had confirmed that it would purchase 25 million tons next season. He also said he was "very much looking forward" to his visit to China in April.

As he indicated, multiple sources told SCMP that President Trump is scheduled to visit China in early April. Two of them said that March 31 is being considered as the arrival date and that there is a possibility the summit will be held in the first week of April as part of a three-day visit. The schedule is being adjusted in consideration of Qingming Festival, a traditional Chinese holiday, and the exact dates are still under discussion. This year, Qingming Festival falls on April 5, and April 4 to 6 is a holiday period. The political news outlet Politico also reported, citing multiple officials, that the U.S.-China summit is scheduled to take place in the first week of April.

The list of U.S. corporate chief executive officers (CEOs) who will accompany this visit to China has not yet been disclosed. A source told SCMP that the Trump administration has not yet invited U.S. corporate CEOs to join the economic delegation because it is reluctant to appear to be encouraging U.S. investment in China. However, another source said that agreements in the automotive and energy sectors could be announced.

SCMP projected that U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng will meet in the coming weeks to discuss the summit. Secretary Bessent said on the 9th that senior officials from the U.S. Treasury Department had recently visited Beijing in preparation for the summit.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.