USA · updated 14m ago · 3 min read
Trump Personally Welcomes Xi Jinping to Washington for First White House Visit in Over a Decade
Xi arrives in Washington for a three-day state visit, greeted on the tarmac by Trump. US-China trade truce extended to January 10.
Whether the visit is expected to be substantive or mostly ceremonial.
9 of 11 outlets skipped it: trump expects Xi to discuss prisoners after release requests.
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ABC News
“much of Xi's three-day visit is expected to be far more about pomp than substance”Read the original ↗
CSIS
“likely to be heavy on optics and symbolism but light on substantive progress”Read the original ↗
One brands it as pomp-heavy, another adds that progress is light.
Xi Meets Trump in Washington
Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Washington for his first state visit to the White House in more than a decade, where he is scheduled to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump to ease growing tensions between the two world powers.
Trump personally welcomed Xi at Joint Base Andrews, and the ceremony included a 100-foot red carpet, a 21-member honor guard, and two B-1 bombers flying overhead.
Xi said in a written statement published by Xinhua that China and the United States “should be partners, not rivals,” and he added that “the Chinese and American peoples have long enjoyed friendly exchanges, and our interests are deeply intertwined.”
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. and China agreed to extend their trade truce until Jan. 10, describing it as an extension of the “Busan Agreement” and the “economic detente” scheduled to end on Nov. 10.
The visit is set for three days, with Xi and his wife expected to depart later Friday after a private tea and a tour of the National Archives.
Ceremony, AI, and Trade
Trump rolled out the red carpet for Xi on Wednesday evening at Joint Base Andrews, and the U.S. Air Force band began playing but paused as the leaders mingled at the bottom of the stairs.
Trump and Xi were expected to discuss issues including artificial intelligence safety, Taiwan, trade, the war in Iran, and critical minerals, while neither leader made remarks at the airport greeting.
Bessent told Fox News that the “Busan Agreement” extension runs until Jan. 10 to give “more time to see what we can do on the economic front,” and he said he did not know whether a bigger deal can be done.
Xi said ahead of the summit that his country and the United States “should be partners, not adversaries,” and he said he “look forward to having in-depth discussions with President Trump on the major issues related to our bilateral relations and the global situation.”
The visit’s agenda also includes a formal state dinner in the East Room, with guests scheduled to include tech executives such as Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, Sundar Pichai, and Tim Cook.
Agriculture Stakes in the Talks
U.S. agriculture returned to the center of the Trump-Xi trade talks, with President Donald Trump welcoming Xi to the White House Thursday, September 24, as U.S. farmers watched for new purchases and fewer barriers.
Beijing committed to purchasing at least $17 billion per year in U.S. agricultural products in 2026, 2027, and 2028 following the leaders’ May summit in China, and the talks now focus on whether this week’s negotiations can expand or accelerate those commitments.
U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer had signaled ahead of the visit that announcements involving agriculture and non-tariff barriers could emerge from the talks, and the meeting is framed as incremental results in specific sectors rather than a single sweeping trade agreement.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said negotiators agreed to extend the tariff truce until January 10, and the continuation of the arrangement was described as reducing the immediate risk of another sharp escalation.
The stakes for U.S. producers extend beyond ceremony, because the sources say the significance of the summit for agriculture depends on the details that emerge afterward, including “specific volumes, commodities, implementation dates and changes to trade barriers.”