Kamal Ghorui
US President Donald Trump will not travel beyond Beijing during his China visit later this month due to a tight schedule and security concerns.Several sources, speaking on condition of anonymity told South China Morning Post that US “advance teams” arrived in the Chinese capital in early March and preparations for the high-stakes summit have entered the final stage.Chinese officials had earlier explored the possibility of Trump visiting more than one city, with a tentative plan for him to start in Beijing and continue to Shanghai, following the format of recent trips by leaders such as the British and Canadian prime ministers.However, the idea was dropped because of time constraints. “His schedule is extremely tight. There is no room to add a visit to a second city,” one source told SCMP.The White House has said Trump will travel to China from March 31 to April 2, marking the first visit to the country by a sitting US president since 2017.Sources said the ongoing US-Israeli strikes on Iran have had only a limited impact on preparations for the summit, with both sides aware that their ties represent “the world’s most consequential bilateral relationship” and that both leaders are keen to meet.Another source confirmed that Trump’s itinerary will be limited to Beijing, noting that adding a second destination could complicate security arrangements and create logistical challenges.“Security is a top priority, and adding another city would make the visit far more difficult to manage,” the source told SCMP.
