PRESIDENT Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to Finland before he heads to Florida, the United States, for a China-U.S. presidents’ meeting next week, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lu Kang announced Thursday.

    “At the invitation of President Sauli Niinisto of the Republic of Finland and President Donald Trump of the United States of America, President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to Finland from April 4 to 6, and he will meet with President Trump at Mar-a-lago, Florida, the United States from April 6 to 7,” Lu announced at a daily press briefing in Beijing.

    Xi’s visit to Finland will be his first trip to a European Union member state this year, and also Xi’s first visit to northern Europe as president, Lu said.

    When commenting on a question regarding China-U.S. trade links, Lu said the two countries’ trade and economies were highly complementary.

    “China hopes to make joint efforts with the United States to expand trade cooperation, properly settle trade frictions through dialogues, and maintain healthy and stable growth of trade and economic ties,” he said.

    China-U.S. trade in goods amounted to US$519.6 billion in 2016, an increase of 207 times compared with that of 1979 when the two countries set up diplomatic ties, according to Lu.

    This will be the first meeting between Xi and Trump since Trump assumed office in January.

    A statement from the White House said the two leaders will discuss global, regional and bilateral issues of mutual concern. President Trump and first lady Melania Trump will host Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan at a dinner next Thursday evening.

    (Xinhua)