Washington D.C., US | July 29, 2025: US President Donald Trump today emphatically denied reports that he is “seeking a summit” with Chinese President Xi Jinping, emphasizing that any potential visit to China would only occur if personally invited by President Xi. This clarification comes amidst ongoing high-stakes trade negotiations between the world’s two largest economies in Sweden.
In a direct post on Truth Social, President Trump stated, “The Fake News is reporting that I am SEEKING a ‘Summit’ with President Xi of China. This is not correct, I am not SEEKING anything! I may go to China, but it would only be at the invitation of President Xi, which has been extended. Otherwise, no interest! Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
This assertion follows a “very good” telephonic conversation between Trump and Xi on June 5, which reportedly focused on trade intricacies. During that call, President Xi had indeed extended an invitation for President Trump and the First Lady to visit China, an invitation Trump reciprocated.
Currently, the United States and China are engaged in a fresh round of trade talks in Stockholm, Sweden, aiming to extend a temporary trade truce. This truce has prevented the imposition of triple-digit tariffs while both nations work towards a more lasting trade agreement.
The delegations in Stockholm are led by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng. These crucial discussions are taking place ahead of a looming August 12 deadline, which marks the expiration of the current trade truce.
Ahead of the talks, Secretary Bessent indicated that an extension of the truce is “likely” and expressed optimism, stating that “trade is in a very good place with China.” The US team for these negotiations also includes Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and United States Trade Representative, Ambassador Jamieson Greer.
Analysts suggest that these Stockholm talks could lay essential groundwork for a potential leaders’ summit later in the year, possibly on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in South Korea from October 30 to November 1. Such a meeting would be the first face-to-face encounter between Trump and Xi since the G20 summit in Osaka, Japan, in 2019, and the first since Trump’s second term began.