Beijing: In a formal confirmation issued by Beijing today, United States President Donald Trump is set to conduct a high-stakes visit to China from 13 to 15 May 2026, during which he is expected to engage in pivotal deliberations with his Chinese counterpart regarding the conflict involving Iran and critical trade complexities, including the ongoing impasse over customs tariffs.
According to Oman News Agency, this diplomatic mission was originally slated for late March or early April; however, the US President decided to defer the engagement to maintain a steadfast focus on the war effort. A spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that, at the formal invitation of President Xi Jinping, the President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, will undertake this official state visit to China from 13 to 15 May 2026.
Anna Kelly, the White House Deputy Press Secretary, remarked that the US President's agenda will center on rebalancing the bilateral relationship with China, with an emphasis on the principles of reciprocity and fairness as a means to restore America's economic independence. This visit represents the first visit by a sitting U.S. President to China since 2017.
Amidst the prevailing wartime atmosphere, the US President signalled his rejection of the response channelled by Iran through a Pakistani intermediary concerning Washington's proposal to terminate the hostilities in the Middle East. This development surfaced just hours after the Iranian state news agency, IRNA, confirmed that the formal response had been dispatched yesterday, Sunday, while the ISNA agency reported that the response focused on the cessation of the war and the security of maritime navigation.
Global oil prices spiked sharply at the opening of today's trading sessions, reacting swiftly to the US President's announcement regarding the rejection of the Iranian overture. Simultaneously, Britain has announced that it will co-chair a summit with France tomorrow, Tuesday, convening defense ministers from dozens of nations to coordinate military strategies aimed at safeguarding and restoring commercial shipping lanes throughout the Middle East.
On the Lebanese front, the fragile truce between Israel and Lebanon remains under severe strain due to the escalating pressure of daily cross-border fire. The Lebanese Ministry of Health reported that yesterday's casualties included emergency medical personnel following Israeli strikes that hit the southern towns of Qallawiyah and Tebnine. In a reciprocal development, the Israeli military confirmed the death of a serviceman following a drone strike launched from Lebanese territory, raising the official military death toll to 18 since the start of last March.
Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department announced this week that a third round of diplomatic negotiations between Lebanon and Israel is scheduled for 14 and 15 May 2026. Following an initial phase of ambassadorial-level talks in Washington, the US President had previously announced a ceasefire that took effect on 17 April; while originally intended to last ten days, the US President subsequently announced a three-week extension following a second round of intensive deliberations at the White House.