China Confirms Xi Jinping’s US Visit for Trump Summit This Week
BEIJING, CHINA — WEB DESK: China has confirmed that President Xi Jinping will make a state visit to the United States from September 23 to 25, during which he is expected to hold high-level talks with US President Donald Trump as the world’s two largest economies seek to manage persistent trade, technology and geopolitical tensions.
China’s Foreign Ministry announced the three-day visit on Monday, saying Xi would travel at Trump’s invitation. Beijing described the trip as an important event in China-US relations and said the two leaders would discuss bilateral ties as well as major issues concerning global peace and development.
The Trump-Xi meeting is expected to take place at the White House on Thursday, September 24. It will be the second face-to-face summit between the two leaders in 2026.
The summit comes after senior economic officials from both countries held lengthy talks in New York. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng discussed trade, investment and the possibility of establishing a new communication mechanism addressing artificial intelligence-related risks.
Bessent said Washington had proposed a notification mechanism that could be used when an AI-related incident reached a national-security threshold. Chinese state media described the wider economic discussions as candid and constructive but provided fewer details on Beijing’s position regarding the US AI proposal.
Trade will remain a major focus. Washington and Beijing have spent much of the past two years trying to stabilise their economic relationship after tariff increases, retaliatory measures and restrictions involving strategically important goods. A temporary trade truce reached in 2025 is due to expire in November, making its future an important issue ahead of the summit.
Rare-earth supplies and access to advanced technologies are also expected to feature in discussions. China holds a dominant position in processing many critical minerals, while Washington has imposed restrictions affecting Chinese access to some advanced technologies.
Taiwan remains another significant point of disagreement between Washington and Beijing. China considers Taiwan part of its territory, while the United States maintains unofficial relations with Taipei and supplies it with defensive arms under longstanding US policy.
Middle East tensions may also enter the talks. Washington has sought greater Chinese involvement in diplomatic efforts surrounding Iran, while China has repeatedly called for restraint and negotiations.
Preparations for the summit have included several high-level contacts. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke on September 17 about future senior-level interactions, with Beijing saying head-of-state diplomacy plays an important role in managing bilateral relations.
Trump is also expected to personally greet Xi at Joint Base Andrews, according to US officials cited by Reuters, an unusual protocol gesture ahead of the formal White House programme. A state dinner is also planned during the visit.
The summit is not guaranteed to produce major breakthroughs. Instead, current reporting suggests both governments are seeking to prevent renewed economic confrontation while maintaining communication on sensitive issues ranging from trade and AI to Taiwan and Middle East security.
