Despite rising tensions between the United States and China following President Donald Trump's allegations of Chinese interference in the 2020 U.S. presidential election, Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the U.S. in September is still on track.
On July 19, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke to reporters before departing for the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Manila, stating, "We expect President Xi's visit to take place in September." He added, "The Chinese side continues to send preparation teams, and I have not heard any reports of changes to the visit plans."
Last week, President Trump claimed that the Chinese government had stolen 220 million voter records to interfere in the 2020 election. However, U.S. intelligence agencies have previously deemed such claims to be unfounded.
When asked about potential responses to the allegations of Chinese election interference, Trump replied, "We'll see" and indicated he would discuss the matter with Chinese officials.
Bloomberg reported that Trump's comments could disrupt the trade truce established last year and the ongoing stabilization of U.S.-China relations ahead of Xi's visit.
If Xi's visit proceeds, it will mark the second face-to-face meeting between Trump and Xi this year, following their summit in Beijing in May.
In anticipation of Xi's visit, diplomatic channels between the U.S. and China are expected to continue practical coordination. At this week's ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting, Rubio is likely to meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to discuss preparations for the summit and current issues between the two countries. Rubio is also scheduled to hold talks with foreign ministers from key regional countries, including South Korea and Japan.
Rubio emphasized, "There will always be friction between two large and powerful countries like the U.S. and China. However, it is our responsibility as important and powerful nations to continue dialogue and maintain our relationship."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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