(The Center Square) – President Donald Trump will be meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in mid-May, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Wednesday afternoon.
Trump also intends to host Xi and the Chinese first lady for a reciprocal visit in Washington, D.C., at a later date.
The upcoming May meeting was rescheduled from early April as Trump felt he needed to be in Washington while the American conflict in Iran is ongoing, according to the New York Times.
When asked whether the new meeting date meant the president believes Operation Epic Fury will be over by then, Leavitt seemed to imply he does.
“We’ve always estimated approximately four to six weeks, so you could do the math on that,” Leavitt responded.
The U.S. and Israel began joint military operations in Iran on Feb. 28. This Saturday would mark four weeks of conflict there.
Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson made similar statements at a news conference Wednesday.
“Operation Epic Fury is almost done. I mean, I think the mission that was very clearly defined in the beginning, the objectives have been met,” Johnson said.
An ally of Iran, China has condemned U.S. and Israeli attacks there and, along with Russia, has called for a ceasefire and the revival of peace talks.
Trump and his team will likely talk tariffs and trade, both nations’ expansion and use of artificial intelligence, the security of Taiwan, Iranian oil and other geopolitical alliances, critical minerals and fentanyl production, as Trump has cracked down on fentanyl crossing U.S. borders.
