Trump Welcomes Xi to Washington as Trade Truce Extended to January (2026-09-24)
Xi Jinping arrived in Washington for a three-day visit as the US and China agreed to extend their trade truce through January 10.
US President Donald Trump personally greeted Chinese President Xi Jinping at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Wednesday, opening a three-day visit that will test relations between the world's two largest economies.
The trip is Xi's first to the United States in nearly three years. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the two sides had reached a deal to extend their 11-month trade truce through January 10; it had been due to lapse on November 10. China's embassy in Washington did not immediately comment.
At the arrival ceremony, the leaders and their wives shook hands, spoke briefly and posed for photographs as a military band played, cannons fired and a B-1 bomber flew overhead. It was the first time in 11 years that a US president has welcomed a foreign leader at Joint Base Andrews, the last such reception being for Pope Francis in 2015.
Even a limited trade deal could calm global markets unsettled by a 2025 tariff war that produced triple-digit levies between the two economies. Deep disagreements persist over export controls on rare-earth minerals and computer chips, China's ties with Iran and US support for Taiwan.
The meeting comes at a difficult moment for Trump, whose approval numbers have slipped amid public discontent over the war with Iran. Xi arrives in a seemingly stronger position, with China's trade engine roaring, though he faces weak household spending and a property market downturn at home. Some Republicans view Beijing as an existential threat and are wary of Trump's outreach to China's ruling Communist Party.
People familiar with the plans said Xi was likely to press Beijing's claim to Taiwan forcefully, a subject Washington would prefer to avoid, while Trump was expected to keep firm export controls despite Xi's objections. It remained unclear whether Beijing would help Trump break a stalemate in the Iran conflict.
Thursday's talks could still produce deals to lower tariffs in specific sectors, cooperate on drug trafficking and expand military-to-military dialogue. Trump is expected to seek the release of Americans and others detained in China, and the two countries could agree to further talks on artificial intelligence, where they compete fiercely.
Analysts said neither leader may feel pressure to compromise. Edgard Kagan, a former White House official now at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said Trump believes the US economy will grow stronger over time, while Xi believes the US is in hurtling decline and that time favours China.
The visit includes a state dinner with technology leaders, a White House military ceremony with jet flyovers and a trip to the National Archives. Apple's Tim Cook, Nvidia's Jensen Huang and OpenAI's Sam Altman are expected at Thursday's dinner.
Both sides pressed ahead with the summit despite their disputes, seeking to project stability between the world's biggest factory and its biggest consumer. As at their two previous meetings since 2025, the leaders plan a highly scripted public spectacle, with duelling announcements instead of a joint press conference or statement.
For Trump, the trip caps a week of diplomacy that began with a two-day stay in New York for the UN General Assembly. Nearly seven months of war with Iran have pushed up US energy prices, and his Republican Party faces tough prospects in November's congressional elections. Xi has overseen a surge in China's foreign trade but faces weak domestic demand; sweeping corruption and discipline crackdowns in the military have cemented his power while raising questions about the People's Liberation Army's readiness.
Another Trump-Xi meeting is seen as likely this year, possibly at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in China in November or the Group of 20 meetings in the US in December.