The arrival ceremony will be followed by a White House state dinner that is expected to bring together top tech executives, including Apple’s Tim Cook, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang and OpenAI’s Sam Altman, as well as a military fly‑over and a tour of the National Archives, where the original Declaration of Independence and Constitution are on display.
The summit comes as the two superpowers grapple with a range of disputes – from an 11‑month trade truce that expires in November to disagreements over Taiwan, narcotics, rare‑earth minerals and technology competition – and analysts say it is meant to project a veneer of stability between the world’s biggest factory and its biggest consumer.
People familiar with the agenda say Xi is likely to press Beijing’s claim to Taiwan, a topic Washington prefers to avoid, while Trump is expected to keep firm U.S. export controls despite Chinese objections; talks on Sept. 24 could nonetheless produce sector‑specific tariff reductions, cooperation on drug‑trafficking enforcement and expanded military‑to‑military dialogue.
Trump is also expected to raise the release of Americans and other detainees held in China, according to sources, and both sides may discuss cooperation on artificial‑intelligence safety, a field where they are fierce competitors but share concerns about emerging risks.
The visit occurs at a politically turbulent moment for both leaders – Trump faces falling approval ratings amid a costly war on Iran and looming congressional elections, while Xi, though presiding over a booming export engine, contends with weak household spending, a property market slowdown and a crackdown on corruption within the military.
“The president very much believes that, over time, the US economy is going to grow, the US will get stronger,” said Edgard Kagan, a former White House official now at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, adding that Xi likely views the United States as in “hurting decline.”
Unlike previous meetings, the leaders are not scheduled to hold a joint news conference; instead each side is expected to issue separate statements that highlight what they hope to convey to domestic audiences.
Analysts note that another Trump‑Xi meeting could be on the table for 2026, potentially on the sidelines of the APEC summit in China in November or the G20 meetings in the United States in December.