WASHINGTON, September 23 US President Donald Trump has welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to Washington for a three day visit expected to focus on trade, technology, Taiwan, narcotics, rare earth minerals and tensions surrounding Iran.
Trump and his wife received Xi and his wife on a 100 foot red carpet laid on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, the military facility that hosts Air Force One.
The high profile welcome marked an unusual departure from normal protocol. According to C SPAN, which tracks presidential events, it was the first time in 11 years that a US president had welcomed a foreign leader at the base. The previous occasion was in 2015, when then President Barack Obama welcomed Pope Francis.
Trump and Xi smiled, shook hands and spoke briefly as the Chinese president began his first visit to the United States in nearly three years.
A military band performed during the ceremony while cannons fired ceremonial rounds. Trump appeared to wince as a B 1 military bomber flew overhead.
The two leaders then left separately ahead of formal meetings scheduled for Thursday.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News that he and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng had agreed to extend a trade truce that was due to expire on November 10 by two months, taking it through January 10.
China’s embassy in Washington had not immediately commented on the reported extension.
Expectations remain limited
Despite the elaborate welcome, expectations for a major breakthrough between Washington and Beijing remain limited, with the two countries continuing to disagree over Taiwan, narcotics, rare earth minerals and other strategic issues.
People familiar with the preparations said Xi was expected to press China’s position on Taiwan, an issue Washington would reportedly prefer to avoid.
Trump, meanwhile, was expected to maintain US export controls despite Beijing’s objections.
The Thursday discussions could nevertheless produce agreements covering specific sectors, including tariff reductions, cooperation against drug trafficking and expanded military to military communication.
Trump is also expected to seek the release of some Americans and other individuals detained in China, according to people familiar with the discussions.
The two countries may also agree to expand talks on artificial intelligence, an area where Washington and Beijing are competing aggressively while also facing growing concerns about the risks associated with the technology.
The summit comes at a challenging time for both leaders.
Trump is facing declining approval ratings amid public dissatisfaction with the US war on Iran. Xi, despite domestic economic challenges, arrives in Washington as China’s trade sector continues to perform strongly.
Analysts said the two leaders may believe they have little reason to compromise.
“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 with Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies.
“I think when Xi Jinping sits down with Donald Trump, he very much believes the US is in hurtling decline, and that time is on China’s side.”
Tech chiefs set for state dinner
The visit is also expected to feature extensive ceremonial events, including a state dinner on Thursday attended by prominent technology executives, a White House military ceremony with jet flyovers and a visit to the National Archives.
The National Archives houses the original US Declaration of Independence and Constitution.
Among those expected at the state dinner are Apple chief executive Tim Cook, Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang and OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman.
The participation of senior technology executives reflects the importance of the US and Chinese markets to the global technology industry, even as Washington and Beijing remain locked in competition over advanced technology.
Despite their differences, the two governments proceeded with the summit as both sides seek to project stability between the world’s largest manufacturing power and its biggest consumer market.
The meeting follows two previous encounters between Trump and Xi since 2025 and is expected to feature a carefully managed public programme.
Rather than issuing a joint press conference or statement after the talks, the two governments are expected to release separate announcements outlining their respective positions and presenting the outcome to their domestic audiences.
For Trump, the meeting comes after a week of diplomacy that began with a two day visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.
Nearly seven months of war with Iran have pushed up energy prices in the United States, while Trump’s Republican Party faces a difficult contest in November’s congressional elections.
Xi’s government, meanwhile, has overseen strong growth in China’s foreign trade but continues to face weak household spending and a prolonged downturn in the property sector.
Anti corruption and military discipline campaigns under Xi have further consolidated his control over the Chinese political system, while also prompting questions about the readiness of the People’s Liberation Army.
The Trump Xi relationship is expected to remain active beyond the Washington visit, with another meeting potentially taking place later this year at the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in China in November or at the Group of 20 meetings in the United States in December.
Leave a comment