Washington, DC, 21 February (H.S.): A White House official confirmed on Friday, that President Donald Trump will embark on a landmark state visit to China from March 31 to April 2, signaling a diplomatic pivot amid escalating trade frictions and the U.S. Supreme Court's recent invalidation of his sweeping global tariffs.

The announcement follows the Supreme Court's 6-3 rebuke of Trump's emergency-declared tariffs on nearly all imports, which he had championed as vital for reshoring factories and curbing deficits; undeterred, Trump vows alternative levies while eyeing direct negotiations with President Xi Jinping, potentially marking up to four summits in 2026 to de-escalate tensions.

Trump's assertive postures—encompassing Greenland acquisition bids, EU tariffs, and NATO defense spending demands—have accelerated Western leaders' overtures to Beijing, exemplified by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's recent trip and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney's first post-2017 visit, where Ottawa eased electric vehicle duties in exchange for agricultural market access.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent described the bilateral dynamic as reaching a very good equilibrium, wherein leader-level rapport enables swift phone de-escalations of disputes, contrasting last year's brinkmanship; concurrent EU-China pacts substituting EV tariffs with minimum pricing underscore a fracturing of the post-1945 U.S.-centric order, as noted at Davos forums.

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar