On Wednesday - the US president will make a three-day visit to China 0 12

The US president will arrive in China on Wednesday for a three-day state visit, confirmed Beijing on Monday.

"At the invitation of Chairman Xi Jinping, US President Donald Trump will visit China for a state visit from May 13 to 15," the Chinese Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

Trump is expected to discuss trade issues and the conflict with Iran with Xi Jinping. He is anticipated to urge Beijing to use its influence to compel Iran to reach a deal with Washington.

"Relations with China, and my personal relationship with President Xi, are very good; we both understand how important it is to keep them that way," Trump wrote on his social media at the beginning of this year.

However, there remain disagreements between China and the US on a number of key issues, including trade tariffs, analysts note. China is one of the key buyers of Iranian oil, and the situation that has arisen following the American-Israeli conflict with Tehran is bound to cause friction. This is similar to Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory.

"The symbolic significance of this visit is enormous," said US Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly to reporters over the phone. "But President Trump never travels just for symbols. The American people can expect new beneficial deals from the president on behalf of our country."

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

This visit will be the first for a sitting US president in nearly ten years, since Trump visited China during his first term in November 2017.

Trump's trip will include a welcoming ceremony, a one-on-one meeting with Xi Jinping, and then a tour of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. On Thursday evening, Trump will attend a state banquet, and on Friday before his departure, there will be a working lunch with the Chairman of China, the White House confirmed.