Trump Welcomes Xi to Washington as Trade Truce Extended to January
Xi Jinping began a three-day US visit as Washington and Beijing agreed to extend their trade truce by two months, through January 10.
US President Donald Trump greeted Chinese President Xi Jinping at a Maryland military base on Wednesday, opening a three-day state visit that will test how far the world's two largest economies can stabilise a relationship strained by disputes over trade, technology, Taiwan and Iran.
Trump and his wife met Xi and his wife on a 100-foot red carpet laid beside the Chinese leader's aircraft at Joint Base Andrews, the installation that hosts Air Force One. The welcome broke with customary practice: it was the first time in 11 years that a US president had received a foreign leader at the base, a gap dating back to Barack Obama's reception of Pope Francis in 2015.
A military band played and ceremonial cannons fired as the two leaders shook hands and spoke briefly. Trump visibly flinched when a B-1 bomber roared overhead. The pair then parted, with formal talks scheduled for Thursday.
Trade truce extended
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng had agreed to extend a trade truce due to lapse on November 10 by two months, pushing the deadline to January 10. China's embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Expectations of a broader breakthrough remain low. The two sides are divided on issues including Taiwan, narcotics and rare-earth minerals. People familiar with the planning said Xi is likely to press Beijing's claim to Taiwan forcefully, a subject Washington would rather avoid, while Trump is expected to hold firm on US export controls despite Chinese objections.
Even so, Thursday's talks could produce agreements to cut tariffs in specific sectors, cooperate against drug trafficking and widen military-to-military contacts. Trump is also expected to seek the release of Americans and others detained in China, and the two countries may agree to further discussions on artificial intelligence, an area of intense competition and shared concern.
Domestic pressures on both sides
The summit comes at an awkward moment for Trump, whose approval ratings have slipped amid public unease over the war with Iran, now nearly seven months old and a driver of higher US energy prices. His Republican Party faces difficult congressional elections in November. Xi arrives in a comparatively stronger position, with Chinese foreign trade surging, though he contends with weak household spending, a property market downturn and the fallout from anti-corruption purges that have consolidated his authority while raising questions about the military's readiness.
Analysts said neither leader may feel compelled to compromise. Edgard Kagan, a former White House official now at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, said Trump believes the US economy will keep growing stronger, while Xi is convinced that American power is in steep decline and that time favours China.
The visit is heavy on ceremony. A state dinner on Thursday is expected to draw business leaders with major stakes in both markets, including Apple's Tim Cook, Nvidia's Jensen Huang and OpenAI's Sam Altman. Other events include a White House military ceremony with jet flyovers and a visit to the National Archives, home to the original Declaration of Independence and Constitution.
As at their two previous meetings since 2025, the leaders have opted for tightly scripted public events rather than a joint press conference or statement. The two governments are expected to issue separate announcements tailored to their domestic audiences.
For Trump, the visit caps a week of diplomacy that began with a two-day stay in New York for the United Nations General Assembly. Another Trump-Xi meeting is considered likely this year, possibly at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in China in November or the Group of 20 gathering in the US in December.