Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in the United States on Wednesday evening for his first state visit to Washington in more than a decade, greeted personally by President Donald Trump in a rare gesture typically reserved for closer allies.
Xi, accompanied by his wife, Peng Liyuan, landed at Joint Base Andrews ahead of a two-day summit set to run through Friday evening. The visit marks the second meeting between the two leaders this year, following talks in Beijing in May.
As Xi touched down, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the two countries had agreed to extend their existing trade truce until January 10. Under the arrangement, both sides have agreed to scale back tariffs and refrain from imposing new trade restrictions. Bessent said the extension would allow more time for further negotiation at international gatherings expected later this year in China and Florida.
The summit’s agenda is expected to center on artificial intelligence, tariffs, rare-earth mineral exports and fentanyl trafficking, alongside longstanding disputes over intellectual property, trade practices and Beijing’s support for Iran during its recent conflict with the United States.
Thursday’s proceedings are set to open with a formal State Arrival Ceremony at the White House, involving hundreds of military personnel across the South Lawn, State Floor and Rose Garden. Separate cultural engagements are planned for the two countries’ first ladies, with the day concluding in a state dinner attended by guests from government and industry.
Analysts have noted that Xi’s visit follows his attendance at summits of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in Kyrgyzstan and the BRICS grouping in New Delhi earlier this month, while he did not travel to New York for the opening of the UN General Assembly, a choice some observers have linked to the timing of this week’s bilateral talks.
