Trump to discuss the Iran war and trade on first visit to China since 2017

US President Donald Trump will visit China on Wednesday for a three-day state visit, Beijing confirmed on Monday.

"At the invitation of President Xi Jinping, President of the United States of America Donald J. Trump will pay a state visit to China from 13 May to 15," a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said.

Trump is set to discuss trade and Iran with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, expected to urge Beijing to use its influence to pressure Iran into making a deal with Washignton.

Trump has often praised his ties with Xi, describing the relationship between the two nations as positive.

“The relationship with China, and my personal relationship with President Xi, is an extremely good one, and we both realise how important it is to keep it that way,” Trump wrote in social media post earlier this year.

And yet, China and the US remain at odds over several key issues, including trade tariffs and Beijing's relation with Iran—China is a key customer for Iranian oil—but also over Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory.

"This will be a visit of tremendous symbolic significance," US Principal Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly told reporters on a call.

"But of course, President Trump never travels for symbolism alone. The American people can expect the president to deliver more good deals on behalf of our country," she added.

Trump was expected to visit China at the end of March or early April, but his trip was postponed due to the Iran war.

The visit will be the first by a sitting US president in nearly a decade since Trump travelled to China during his first term, in November 2017.

Trump's trip will include a welcome ceremony, a one-on-one meeting with Xi, followed by a tour of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. Thursday evening, Trump will attend a state banquet, and on Friday we will have a working lunch with Xi before leaving, the White House confirmed.