China’s foreign ministry confirmed that President Xi Jinping will meet with his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump in Florida next week, a critical first encounter as the two sides seek common ground on issues ranging from trade to North Korea. Xi was invited by Trump to take part in meetings at his Florida club, Mar-a-Lago, on April 6 and April 7, foreign ministry spokesman Lu Kang said Thursday. The possibility of informal talks far from the U.S. capital—following a similar visit by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in February—was reported earlier this month. The White House issued a statement later on Thursday. “The two leaders will discuss global, regional, and bilateral issues of mutual concern,” the statement said. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will host Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at a dinner on April 6. The meeting will be the first between the leaders of the world’s two biggest economies since Trump took office in January after criticizing China’s trade practices on the campaign trail. White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said earlier this month that the meeting would seek to “defuse tensions over North Korea and the recent deployment” of the first stages of the U.S. Army’s Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system in South Korea. Trump entered office highlighting grievances with Beijing, including the U.S. trade deficit with China, charges of currency manipulation and concern over the country’s military expansion to back its territorial claims in disputed maritime areas. Yet tensions have eased of late, particularly after Trump agreed to honor the decades-old One-China policy concerning Taiwan in a phone call with Xi last month. The timing of the meeting appears tricky, with a U.S. review of China’s market-economy status under the World Trade Organization expected to be announced as early as this week. Also, South Korean intelligence warned Wednesday that North Korea could conduct its sixth nuclear bomb test in the first week of April to “overshadow” the summit. Ni Shixiong, a professor at Fudan University’s Center for American Studies in Shanghai, said the talks may push Trump to clarify his positions on key issues regarding China, including Taiwan and North Korea. “It’s better to meet earlier than late from a strategic perspective—especially an earlier meeting can help shape his China policy,” Ni said. “They will discuss things broadly rather than get bogged down down in details.”  Xi will also pay a state visit to Finland from April 4 to April 6, Lu said Tuesday. He will be the first Chinese head of state to visit the Nordic country since 1995.