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Will Trump visit China for WWII Victory Day? ‘Cautious optimism’ as speculation swirls
China has ‘no information’ on whether US leader will attend parade but one observer says it is ‘only appropriate’ to invite wartime ally
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Speculation that US President Donald Trump may visit Beijing in September has sparked “cautious optimism” among some Chinese analysts about a possible diplomatic breakthrough as trade ties between the rival powers teeter on the edge of a fragile truce.
A Kyodo report on Sunday citing unnamed sources said that China was planning to invite Trump to its Victory Parade in Tiananmen Square on September 3, marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
When asked to comment on the report on Monday, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said she did not have “any information to provide” on the matter.
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Last week, Beijing announced that it would hold a military parade to celebrate China’s victory in what it calls “the war of resistance against Japanese aggression”.
Some three weeks earlier, after a long-awaited phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping as trade tensions spiralled, Trump said that a trip to China may happen “at a certain point”.
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The call on June 5 was the first official talk between the two leaders since Trump relaunched the US trade war in February. Following the call, Trump confirmed that Xi had invited him and the first lady to visit China, and that he had extended a reciprocal invitation.
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