First Visit to U.S. by Chinese President Scheduled in July
China and the White House announced today that President Li Xiannian will visit the United States July 22. It would be the first official U.S. tour by a Chinese president.
The trip will be the first top-level exchange since President Reagan visited China in April, 1984, and invited Li to make a return tour.
In Washington, the White House announced Li’s visit in a brief statement. It said only that Li had accepted Reagan’s invitation and that the Chinese leader would meet with Reagan at the White House July 23.
Li, whose age has been given officially as both 75 and 79, will lead a delegation including his wife, Lin Jiamei, Vice Premier Li Peng and State Councilor Ji Pengfei. A Chinese spokesman would not say how long Li’s visit to the United States would last, but U.S. diplomats privately said it would be about a week.
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