Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit the United States from September 23 to 25 at the invitation of President Donald Trump, with the two leaders set to hold high-level talks in Washington on major issues affecting US-China relations and global affairs.
The visit will be Xi’s first state visit to the United States in more than a decade and the second face-to-face meeting between Xi and Trump in 2026. The central White House events are scheduled for Thursday, September 24.
Full Trump-Xi Summit Schedule
Trump is expected to greet Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday, September 23.
On Thursday morning, Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will host a state arrival ceremony for Xi and Peng at the White House. The ceremony will include military honors, remarks by both leaders and a military review.
Trump and Xi will then hold talks, with the discussions expected to focus on major bilateral and global issues.
On Thursday evening, Trump and Melania will host Xi and Peng at a state dinner in the White House East Room.
On Friday, September 25, the two couples are scheduled to have tea at the White House before traveling to the National Archives. Xi and Peng will then depart the United States.
Tariffs, AI And Rare Earths On Agenda
Trade and tariffs are expected to be major issues during the talks. The US and China are also discussing whether some tariffs on nonstrategic goods could be eased, while the existing trade truce is due to expire in November. Trump has repeatedly accused China of undermining the US on trade and the trade deficit. In preparatory consultations led by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng have targeted a potential $30 billion tariff reduction package focusing on non-strategic goods
Artificial intelligence is another focus. Ahead of the summit, Bessent proposed an AI incident notification mechanism during talks with Lifeng.
Critical minerals and rare earths will also feature prominently. The United States is seeking reliable access to Chinese rare earth supplies, which are important for technology, automobiles and defense industries.
The ongoing Iran war is also among the geopolitical issues expected to be discussed, alongside tensions involving Taiwan and other security matters.
The summit follows preparatory economic and trade talks between senior US and Chinese officials in New York. Beijing has described the reciprocal visits by Xi and Trump within six months as having “historic, milestone significance.”