President Donald Trump said on Monday that he expects to host Chinese President Xi Jinping around Sept. 24, a date that would fall during the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The remark came while Trump was speaking about plans to construct a ballroom at the White House, which he offered as a rationale for expanding the residence's event capacity. "For instance, President Xi is coming here in the - toward the end of Sept. 24, I believe," Trump said, adding that a larger ballroom could accommodate thousands of people to see the visiting leader.
If such a visit takes place on that date in Washington, it would coincide with the high-level segment of the UN General Assembly. Trump is scheduled to deliver his address to the General Assembly on Sept. 22 and typically remains in New York for several nights after the speech to hold meetings with other foreign leaders.
Xi Jinping has attended the United Nations General Assembly only once since assuming the Chinese presidency in 2012, according to the information provided during the event.
Trump has previously said he expected to host Xi in September, but Monday's comments were the first public indication of a more specific potential date for the visit.
The two leaders last met in May at a summit in Beijing. At that gathering, both sides signaled an interest in strengthening bilateral ties following tensions related to the Iran war.
This account sticks to comments made by the U.S. president and the timeline around major diplomatic events. Details about confirmation of travel plans, formal invitations, or official itineraries were not provided in the remarks referenced here.