Xi’s arrival marks his first visit to the United States in more than a decade and his second high‑level encounter with Trump this year. He was greeted by President Trump and a military honor guard at the airfield before being escorted to the capital.
The summit’s centerpiece is scheduled for Thursday, September 24, when Trump and First Lady Melania will host a formal ceremony on the White House South Lawn, State Floor and Rose Garden. The event will feature a 479‑person military contingent, a fly‑over by a B‑2 Spirit and four F‑22 Raptors, and will conclude with a state dinner in the East Room for Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan.
Trade remains a top agenda item as the bilateral tariff truce, which has kept new duties at bay for almost a year, is set to expire on November 10. U.S. officials have signaled that any new announcements will focus on agricultural imports and non‑tariff barriers, while Chinese Vice‑Premier He Lifeng is already in Washington holding talks with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Rare‑earth minerals are also slated for discussion. Washington is urging Beijing to ease restrictions on shipments of the strategic metals that China controls up to 70 % of global mining and 85 % of refining capacity, while China is pressing the United States to delay rules that would bar Chinese firms from advanced‑technology supply chains.
Geopolitical friction will surface over China’s economic ties to Iran, which Washington hopes Beijing can leverage to curb Tehran’s activities. The summit will also touch on the delicate Taiwan issue, with Asian allies warning that any perceived softening of U.S. support could be used by Beijing to extract economic concessions.
Artificial‑intelligence cooperation is expected to be explored, though experts caution that fierce competition will likely limit any substantive agreement. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei warned this month that Chinese dominance in AI could pose security risks, a claim dismissed by Chinese state media and brushed aside by Trump as “exaggerated.”
The visit will close on Friday, September 25, with a private tea ceremony on the White House South Portico, followed by a joint tour of the National Archives. President Trump and the First Lady will bid farewell to Xi and Peng before the leaders depart Washington.