Middle East Conflict on Hold as Xi Jinping Set to Meet Donald Trump
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia — China’s highest-ranking diplomat, Wang Yi, has signalled direct interaction between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump. Wang Yi indicated that preparations are underway for a meeting between the two leaders, amid tensions arising from the conflict in Iran and trade tariff disputes.
He disclosed that a high-level exchange agenda has already entered formal discussions between both parties. According to him, a crucial step that must be taken now is to consolidate preparations to minimise potential obstacles ahead of the meeting.
“The high-level exchange agenda is already on the table,” Wang told journalists in Mandarin, as officially translated by CNBC International.
“What both sides need to do now is to make thorough preparations, create an appropriate environment, manage existing risks, and eliminate unnecessary disturbances,” he added.
Furthermore, Wang warned of the grave risks if the two world economic powers choose to break off communication. He emphasised that confrontation would only bring widespread negative consequences, not only for the two countries but also for global stability as a whole.
“Turning one’s back on each other will only lead to misperceptions and miscalculations between both sides. Slipping into conflict or confrontation will only drag the entire world down,” Wang Yi stated firmly.
Following a face-to-face meeting in South Korea last autumn, Xi Jinping and Trump have indicated plans to visit each other’s countries. Trump is scheduled to visit China from 31 March to 2 April, which would be the first visit by a serving US president to China since 2017.
However, Beijing has not yet confirmed the exact date of Trump’s visit. Wang Yi did not provide further details regarding the schedule, but noted that high-level interaction between the two presidents is crucial for the future of bilateral relations.
“High-level interaction between the US and Chinese presidents has provided important strategic protection for China-US relations to improve and move forward,” Wang said.
Some analysts had expressed doubts about whether the visit would take place as scheduled, given the heated geopolitical situation. These doubts arose following a joint US-Israeli strike on Iran that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as well as the arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro by US authorities.
Wang did not mention these individuals by name in his statement to the press on Sunday morning. However, he reiterated Beijing’s call for an immediate ceasefire in the escalating conflict in Iran.
“This is a war that should never have happened. This is a war that brings no good to anyone,” Wang said.
According to official records, Wang has held telephone conversations with at least seven foreign ministers—including those from Russia, Iran, and Israel—since the joint strike on Iran began on 28 February. This statement was made during China’s annual parliamentary meetings, which span eight days and are scheduled to conclude on Thursday.
Regarding economic matters, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng are expected to meet this weekend in Paris. The meeting aims to discuss business agreements that could potentially be approved by the two presidents if their meeting materialises as planned.
As of the time of publication, China had not issued an official comment regarding reports of the planned Paris meeting. Currently, senior Chinese leaders, including President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Li Qiang, continue to hold meetings with delegations in Beijing.