Xi Jinping to Visit White House for Talks, Ceremony and State Dinner

Chinese President Xi Jinping will make a high-profile state visit to the White House on Thursday, September 24, where he will hold talks with US President Donald Trump. Trump has described the occasion as a "big day" for both countries.

Xi will be accompanied by his wife, Peng Liyuan. The White House has planned a formal welcome that includes a military ceremony, a gift exchange, bilateral meetings and a state dinner.

Morning welcome and ceremony

Trump and first lady Melania Trump are scheduled to greet Xi and Peng at 10 AM US time, marking the formal start of the visit. The greeting will be followed by an official arrival ceremony with military honours.

As part of the ceremonial programme, Trump and Melania will take part in an official gift exchange with the Chinese president and his wife. They will also observe a performance by a "silent drill platoon" — an infantry rifle unit performing precision drills — and participate in a formal inspection of troops.

Bilateral talks

The two presidents will then begin a bilateral meeting, giving them a chance to discuss the most sensitive issues directly before a larger meeting with members of their delegations.

Artificial intelligence is expected to be a major topic. Trump has referred to the technology as "SI", or "super intelligence", promoting his preferred terminology. The discussions are also expected to cover the broader US-China relationship, including trade, tariffs, technology and Taiwan.

Trade remains a key issue after Washington and Beijing agreed to extend their fragile trade truce by two months. The two sides are also dealing with wider geopolitical matters, including the wars in Iran and Ukraine.

State dinner

Trump will host Xi at a state dinner later in the evening, bringing the Chinese president's White House visit to a ceremonial close. The dinner is expected to draw senior US and Chinese officials along with prominent figures from the technology and business sectors, with guests likely to include tech leaders such as Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai and Elon Musk.