Chinese President Xi Jinping begins a three-day state visit to the United States on Wednesday 23 September 2026. US President Donald Trump is due to personally welcome him on his arrival at Joint Base Andrews near Washington, in a rare move ahead of anticipated talks on thorny economic and political issues.
Trump is scheduled to take part in a ceremony for the Chinese president’s arrival at the military base at 6pm local time, rather than simply welcoming him on his arrival at the White House. Xi is accompanied on the visit by his wife, Peng Liyuan, while First Lady Melania Trump will take part in the welcome ceremony.
China announces Xi’s programme in Washington
China’s Foreign Ministry had announced that Xi would visit the United States from 23 to 25 September at Trump’s invitation. Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said the two presidents would hold an in-depth exchange of views on key issues related to Chinese-US relations, as well as on issues of peace and development around the world.
The spokesman added that the exchange of visits between the two presidents within six months represented a historically significant milestone, pointing to Beijing’s desire to strengthen dialogue and co-operation with Washington and manage differences between the two countries. Xi’s visit follows a state visit by Trump to China in May 2026, during which he held talks with the Chinese president in Beijing.
Trade and technology issues top summit agenda
Thursday’s summit is expected to address trade, tariffs and the flow of rare earths and critical materials to US markets, alongside competition in technology and artificial intelligence. The issues on the agenda also include trade in agricultural products and US aircraft, as the two sides monitor the implementation of economic understandings announced after the Beijing summit.
The expected political and security issues include Taiwan, relations between Beijing and Tehran, developments linked to Iran, and the Korean Peninsula. Taiwan is one of the main points of disagreement between Washington and Beijing. China maintains that it is the most important issue in bilateral relations and urges the United States to exercise caution in dealing with it.
The summit also comes amid disagreements over restrictions on the export of rare earths and related technologies, materials used in advanced civilian and military industries. Washington is seeking to ensure the continued flow of critical minerals to US companies, while Beijing says its measures are subject to its laws and controls on dual-use applications.
Formal welcome ceremony with extensive military participation
According to the announced programme, Trump and Melania will hold a formal welcome ceremony for Xi and his wife at the White House on Thursday morning 24 September, with the participation of 479 service members representing the various branches of the US armed forces. The ceremony will include the playing of the two national anthems, remarks by both presidents and military displays, concluding with a flypast by a B-2 Spirit bomber and four F-22 Raptor fighter jets.
After the welcome ceremony, Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan will visit the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Asian Art to view works linked to Chinese-US cultural exchange. The US president and first lady will host a state dinner for the Chinese president and his wife on Thursday evening in the White House’s East Room.
The visit programme concludes on Friday 25 September with Xi and his wife being welcomed at the White House’s South Portico, followed by a tea meeting in the Red Room. The two presidents and their wives will then go to the National Archives in Washington to view documents and records linked to the history of US-China relations, before the farewell ceremony.
Xi’s first visit since 2015
This is Xi’s first state visit to the United States since his visit in September 2015. It also comes more than a decade after his last visit to the White House.
Trump and Xi agreed during their May summit in Beijing to maintain communication and support the two countries’ hosting of international economic meetings during 2026, while working to manage competition and differences between the world’s two largest economies.
