Trump to host China leader at Mar-a-Lago

The White House confirmed Thursday that President Donald Trump will host Chinese President Xi Jingping at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate on April 6 and 7.

The summit will be the first between Trump and his Chinese counterpart. A White House statement said the leaders will “discuss global, regional and bilateral issues of mutual concern.”

Asked in a news briefing Thursday how Mar-a-Lago was chosen as the venue, White House spokesman Sean Spicer would say only that the two countries negotiated the planning of the talks over several weeks.

“I’m not going to get into the back and forth,” Spicer said. “I would just suggest to you that both sides discussed various locations and topics and agendas and length, et cetera, and aspects to the trip. And this is

what we’ve arrived at.”

Spicer was also asked whether the Trump administration was eyeing a particular vision of the U.S.-China relationship in the Trump era — and whether such a framework could be summed up like the Obama administration’s “pivot” to Asia.

“We’ll see,” Spicer said. “I’m not — if you have any hashtags, let me know. But I think right now we’re not worried so much about slogans as much as progress.”

Spicer added that some of the priority issues up for discussion will be trade, North Korea and territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

Xi is expected to stay at the Eau Palm Beach Resort and Spa in Manalapan, according to media reports, though the hotel would not confirm those reports.

“Regrettably, I can’t comment,” said Nick Gold, a spokesman for the hotel. He did add that the resort was sold out the nights of April 6 and 7.

The luxury resort, formerly the Ritz Carlton, is about 7 miles south of Mara-Lago, or about a 15-minute drive down A1A, according to Google Maps.

President Barack Obama stayed at what was then the Ritz Carlton while campaigning for re-election in July 2012, and Vice-President Joe Biden responded to the Colorado movie-theater mass shooting in a speech to a law enforcement conference at the same hotel days later.

President Trump and first lady Melania Trump will also host President Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at a dinner on April 6.

It will be Trump’s sixth visit to Palm Beach since taking office and his second that would include a meeting with a foreign leader.

In February, Trump hosted the Japanese prime minister, Shinzo Abe, at Mar-a-Lago.

Photos were posted to social media by other members of the Trumpowned estate and social club who watched as the two leaders and their aides huddled to discuss then emerging reports that North Korea had just conducted a missile test.

Trump’s visits to Mar-aLago have drawn criticism over the cost of securing the property while the president is in town, while other businesses, including local airports, have complained about the adverse impact of flight restrictions that accompany each Trump visit.