The Beijing government reportedly has proposed Macau as a possible location for President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump to meet this month to sign the first installment of an agreement that could end the ongoing trade war between the two superpowers.
Citing a report by U.S. TV network Fox News, Reuters reports the proposal came after protests in Chile induced the government of the South American country to cancel this month’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit, where Xi and Trump initially planned to meet.
Macau is one of several locations on the table, according to Reuters and Bloomberg, both citing sources with knowledge of the negotiations.
China’s Foreign Ministry, meanwhile, dismissed as “pure speculation” a report by the Macau Daily Times, citing sources of its own, that Macau has already been given the nod.
“The venue could move to China, the U.S., or any third-party country. The two sides will surely talk about it,” said China’s former Vice Minister of Commerce Wei Jianguo.
If Macau is selected, it will be Trump’s first visit to the Chinese casino hub and the second for Xi, who is scheduled to be on hand for celebrations in December marking the 20th anniversary of the former Portuguese colony’s return to China.
