U.S. President-elect Donald Trump has told aides he intends to travel to China after taking office, according to people familiar with the discussions.
The purpose of the visit would be to deepen a relationship with Xi Jinping, strained by the president-elect’s threat to impose steeper tariffs on Chinese imports.
Trump visited Beijing in 2017, almost a year into his first term. Aides warned that no decision has been made for him to return.
One of the people familiar with the discussions said Trump has expressed interest in traveling to China within his first 100 days in office. Trump’s transition team did not respond to a request for comment.
Trump and Xi spoke by phone Friday for the first time since the November election, discussing trade, fentanyl, TikTok and other topics.
“My expectation is that we will solve many problems together and start immediately,” Trump wrote on social media after the call.
