BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 18. U.S. President
Donald Trump may postpone his trip to China, a move that could
significantly affect economic relations between the world’s two
largest economies amid ongoing global challenges.


As Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a
briefing on Tuesday, Beijing and Washington are continuing to
discuss possible dates for the visit, though no specifics have been
confirmed.


The trip was initially scheduled for March 31–April 2, 2026. It
could become the first state visit by a sitting U.S. president to
China in nearly nine years and would serve as a logical
continuation of Donald Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi
Jinping in Busan in October 2025. At that meeting, the two sides
agreed to a one-year tariff truce: the U.S. partially reduced
duties, while China increased purchases of American agricultural
products and temporarily eased restrictions on rare earth
exports.


However, in recent days, Donald Trump administration has asked
the Chinese side to delay the summit “by about a month.”


The main reason cited is the need for the president to remain in
Washington and personally coordinate actions related to an
operation against Iran, which has affected the situation in the
Strait of Hormuz - a key route for global oil trade.


"We have a very good relationship. There's no trick to it
either. It's very simple. We've got a war going on. I think it's
important that I be here," Trump added.


Amid rising energy prices and growing risks to global supply
chains, tensions continue to intensify. Nevertheless, preparations
for a possible visit are ongoing: parallel working-level talks are
taking place in Paris between U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent
and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng.







If the meeting does take place, its agenda is likely to be
highly pragmatic. The two sides may discuss extending the tariff
truce, locking in reduced duty rates, expanding Chinese purchases
of U.S. soybeans, sorghum, corn, and other agricultural products,
resuming major Boeing supply contracts, and stabilizing supplies of
critical materials and components. The focus is likely to be on
consolidating existing agreements and preventing renewed escalation
rather than achieving major breakthroughs.


The invitation to Trump followed the October meeting in Busan,
where both sides signaled readiness for managed competition. Over
the past year, economic relations have evolved through mutual
concessions and noticeable adaptation. According to U.S. data, the
trade deficit with China in 2025 fell to $202.1 billion - $93.4
billion less than in 2024. U.S. exports to China totaled about
$106.3 billion, while imports reached $308.4 billion, bringing the
deficit to its lowest level in more than two decades.


From China’s perspective, the picture is even more dynamic. In
2025, China posted a record trade surplus of nearly $1.19–1.2
trillion - an all-time high, exceeding the 2024 figure ($992
billion) by almost 20%. Total foreign trade reached a record $6.36
trillion. Exports grew by 5.5–6.1% to around $3.77–3.8 trillion,
while imports remained relatively stable at about $2.58 trillion.
Despite a decline in shipments to the U.S. (exports in that
direction fell by roughly 20–30%), China offset this through market
diversification, significantly increasing supplies to ASEAN
countries, Africa, Latin America, and other regions.


In the first two months of 2026, China’s exports showed even
stronger growth - up 21.8% year over year, while the surplus
increased by 26.2%. These figures clearly illustrate the deep
interdependence of the two economies. Even amid tariff pressures
and supply chain reorientation, both sides recognize the risks of
full escalation: previous trade wars have already cost hundreds of
billions of dollars in losses for businesses, jobs, and global GDP
growth.


This is why the invitation to Beijing appears logical - an
attempt to solidify the truce and identify new areas of cooperation
in trade, agriculture, aviation, and critical resources.


For now, the fate of the visit remains uncertain and largely
depends on geopolitical developments. If the meeting takes place in
April or May, the sides may advance concrete agreements and ease
tensions, including in energy markets. If the delay drags on,
however, the risk of renewed tariff escalation will persist,
potentially weighing on global trade. In any case, the economic
interdependence between the U.S. and China makes continued dialogue
inevitable - regardless of the format or venue of negotiations.