BEIJING, Jan 6 — A Chinese trade delegation is planning to travel to Washington on January 13 for the signing of the US-China Phase 1 trade deal, the South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported yesterday citing a source briefed on the matter.

The Chinese delegation will return on January 16, SCMP said.

The trade delegation, led by Vice Premier Liu He, had originally planned to set off earlier in the month but had to change plans after US President Donald Trump sent a tweet claiming that he would sign the Phase 1 trade deal with China on January 15.

After a full afternoon’s discussion, the Chinese side decided to revise their plan to accommodate Trump, SCMP said.

Washington and Beijing have yet to officially confirm Liu’s visit.

Trump had first announced plans for the initial trade pact in October, and US and Chinese negotiators spent weeks finalizing the Phase 1 deal, which comes in lieu of the massive trade agreement that the world’s two largest economies had initially sought. — Reuters