With the U.S.-China summit set for Mar. 31 to Apr. 2 now about three weeks away, the agenda is still not set, according to reports. It is an important meeting that will determine whether to extend the trade truce between the two countries, but even that item has yet to be fixed.
On the 11th, the New York Times (NYT) cited China analysts as saying that "Chinese officials are frustrated that the White House has not provided specific information about President Trump's agenda and issues on which the two sides can reach agreement."
The previous day, Bloomberg News also reported, citing anonymous sources, that Chinese officials are displeased, seeing that preparations ahead of U.S. President Trump's Mar. 31 visit to China are being rushed at the last minute.
The Chinese side has yet to receive from the U.S. detailed information on what kind of agreement President Trump is seeking and what commercial transaction will be announced at the summit. There is a chance the summit agenda will be coordinated at a meeting this week in Paris between U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, but even that is uncertain.
The Chinese government usually prepares the detailed schedule and agenda of a summit meticulously in advance, but this round of preparations reportedly began very late. Wu Xinbo, dean of the Institute of International Studies at Fudan University in Shanghai, said, "Usually such visits are prepared months in advance, but this time the start was late and discussions are still ongoing," adding, "It is still unclear what will be achieved by this visit."
In the United States, concerns are also being raised about the lack of summit preparation. Sean Stein, president of the U.S.-China Business Council, said the White House has not yet sent invitations to accompany the trip to U.S. businesspeople. Western leaders typically bring a large group of chief executive officers (CEOs) when visiting China. President Trump likewise brought businesspeople during his first-term visit to China in 2017.
However, the Trump administration has also not decided whether corporations will accompany the trip. A White House Spokesperson told the NYT that invitations would be extended "at the appropriate time," and explained that the summit's goals also have not yet been disclosed specifically by either side.
U.S. businesspeople are in a difficult position. U.S. corporations have called for broader access to the Chinese market and fewer barriers to entry into China, including approval of U.S. crops grown with genetically modified seeds and allowing exports of U.S. pharmaceuticals. But if they cannot accompany the summit, there is concern it will be hard to highlight these agenda items.
Experts also see the possibility that China may not offer President Trump the lavish reception it did in the past during this visit. During the first visit in 2017, President Xi Jinping gave President Trump an extraordinary welcome, including inviting him to the Forbidden City, but a few months later President Trump launched a trade war against China.
Some have suggested that war between the United States and Israel and Iran has made the U.S.-China summit uncertain, but preparations are said to be in the final stages. Earlier, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) in Hong Kong reported that an advance team from the United States arrived in Beijing earlier this month to prepare the talks, and that for security reasons President Trump is expected to stay only in Beijing.