Trump-Xi summit set for Beijing on May 14-15, White House says

President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet in Beijing on May 14 and 15, the White House announced March 25, rescheduling a summit that had been postponed because of U.S.-Israeli military operations against Iran.

The meeting, originally planned for March 31 to April 2, marks a pivotal diplomatic encounter between the world's two largest economies as the Trump administration seeks a resolution to the Iran conflict ahead of U.S. midterm elections.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt made the announcement at a press briefing. "I'm pleased to announce that President Trump's meeting and a long-awaited meeting with President Xi in China will now take place in Beijing on May 14th and 15th," she said, according to The Korea Times.

First Lady Melania Trump will accompany the president to Beijing. Leavitt added that Trump and the First Lady "will also host President Xi and Madam Peng for a reciprocal visit in Washington, D.C. at a later date to be announced this year."

The summit agenda is expected to include bilateral trade discussions covering agricultural products and critical minerals, The Korea Times reported.

The original dates were dropped after U.S. and Israeli forces launched operations against Iran. Leavitt said Xi "understood that it's very important for the president to be here throughout these combat operations right now" when asked to explain the delay.

The Trump administration has been pursuing an exit from the Iran conflict, with midterm election pressures lending urgency to a diplomatic resolution. The White House said Xi accepted the schedule change.

A date for Xi's reciprocal visit to Washington has not been set.