Xi-Trump Meeting | Sanctions Lifted? Rubio Reportedly to Visit China with Trump at Month's end

U.S. President Trump previously announced that he will visit China at the end of this month and is expected to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The South China Morning Post quoted sources saying that U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who is on Beijing’s sanctions list, will accompany the delegation to China.

Sources say Pompeo was invited to visit China earlier, but initially appeared to respond冷淡 to Beijing’s invitation, only recently becoming willing to accept.

The report also suggests that Pompeo’s participation this time may help ease some issues that arose during the preparations for Trump’s visit to China.

Reuters previously cited up to five informed sources saying that China was strongly dissatisfied with the hasty and unorganized manner in which the Trump administration was preparing for the visit.

Bloomberg also quoted sources indicating that both China and the U.S. lacked clear communication about the specific expectations and goals of Trump’s trip, which caused concern in Beijing. The report states that before hosting a state visit by the U.S. president, China typically first receives senior officials dispatched to pave the way for the visit. During the last visit to China in 2017, months before Trump’s visit, the U.S. sent the Secretary of State and the Commerce Secretary to communicate with China. This time, Beijing is unhappy that the White House deviated from this usual practice.

Pompeo is the first sitting U.S. Secretary of State to be sanctioned by China twice

Pompeo is the first sitting U.S. Secretary of State to be sanctioned by China. He was added to Beijing’s sanctions list twice during his tenure as a senator in 2020, due to his harsh stance on Hong Kong and Xinjiang issues.

After Pompeo became Secretary of State, China changed his official transliteration from “Lubiào” to “Lubiào.” When asked whether this meant he was no longer under Chinese sanctions, the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that the more important thing is his English name, reaffirming that China’s sanctions target actions and words that harm China’s legitimate interests.