US President Donald Trump will welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping to Washington on Wednesday for a three-day state visit combining elaborate ceremony with talks on trade, artificial intelligence, Taiwan and other disputes.
Xi’s first US state visit since 2015 comes as an 11-month trade truce approaches its November expiration, with expectations for major breakthroughs remaining limited.
Trump is expected to personally greet Xi and First Lady Peng Liyuan at Andrews Air Force Base before events including a state dinner and military flyovers.
Trade is expected to feature prominently after Washington and Beijing reached a truce in October 2025 that suspended steep US tariff increases while China eased restrictions on rare-earth exports.
US and Chinese officials held talks alongside the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday without making meaningful progress, according to sources cited by the BBC, with negotiations expected to continue in Washington.
The leaders could discuss sector-specific tariff reductions, agricultural exports, drug trafficking and expanded military-to-military dialogue.
Artificial intelligence is also expected to feature as both governments compete in the technology while confronting concerns over its risks.
A Thursday state dinner is expected to include technology executives including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Nvidia chief Jensen Huang and Apple CEO Tim Cook.
Taiwan remains another major point of tension.
Xi is expected to press Trump over US arms sales to the self-governing island, while a roughly $14 billion package has remained on hold for months.
Trump has described arms sales to Taiwan as a negotiating tool in discussions with Beijing.
Iran could also enter the talks amid Washington’s conflict with Tehran and Beijing’s close economic relationship with Iran.
The Trump administration has withheld secondary sanctions on major Chinese banks despite previously threatening penalties against countries doing business with Tehran.
The visit is expected to conclude Friday, with both governments likely to issue separate announcements rather than a joint statement or press conference.
Despite continuing disagreements, the summit underscores both governments’ effort to maintain high-level engagement as economic and security tensions persist.