Trump to Host Xi Jinping at White House on September 24

President Donald Trump has extended an invitation to Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Madame Peng, for a visit to the White House on September 24. Xi is expected to land in Washington on September 23, ahead of the main engagements.

A confirmed schedule of events has not yet been released. Trump is expected to greet Xi upon his arrival at Joint Base Andrews, though the programme for the visit is still being finalised.

Coverage plans include live reporting of all open-press events at the White House, which could encompass meetings, news conferences or other appearances tied to the visit. Broadcast facilities are being arranged in both Washington and Beijing, with correspondents available for live shots in multiple languages.

The invitation marks a notable turn in Trump's approach to Beijing. He built his 2016 campaign around the argument that China had been taking advantage of the United States and that he would put a stop to it. Since taking office, however, he has been warmer toward Xi than toward the leaders of several traditional allies, including Canada, France, Germany, Denmark and Ukraine — a shift that reflects China's growing power over the past decade.

The visit also sits uneasily with Trump's recent rhetoric on China. He has described the Chinese threat to US election security as serious enough to warrant a prime-time address to the nation in July, and has made the spectre of communism a central theme of his midterm messaging against Democrats. Now he is preparing to welcome Xi with a state dinner, complete with a newly built helipad for the occasion, while his administration has moved to deepen ties between the US government and the private sector through a series of investments.

Separately, Beijing's large oil stockpiles have been credited with shielding the US president from the worst economic fallout of the Iran war, underscoring the energy leverage China holds in the relationship.

Further details on the visit's schedule are expected to be released in the coming days.