US President Donald Trump has welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to Washington for a high-level summit focused on trade, artificial intelligence, Taiwan and broader US-China relations. The visit marks Xi’s first trip to Washington in more than a decade and the second face-to-face meeting between the two leaders this year.
Trump personally greeted Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday as the Chinese president arrived for a three-day state visit. The welcome featured military honours and a red-carpet ceremony.
In remarks carried by Chinese state media, Xi said Beijing and Washington should remain “partners, not rivals” and called for a more stable relationship between the two countries.
Trade is expected to remain at the centre of the discussions. The two countries have agreed to extend their existing trade truce by two months, moving the deadline to January 10, while negotiations continue over tariffs and other economic issues.
The leaders are also expected to discuss artificial intelligence, critical minerals, Taiwan and the conflict involving Iran. US and Chinese officials have been exploring mechanisms to manage potential AI-related risks and prevent technological competition from escalating into broader security tensions.
Taiwan is another sensitive issue on the agenda. Beijing has repeatedly called for limits on US arms sales and official engagement with Taiwan, while Washington has maintained its stated policy of opposing unilateral changes to the status quo across the Taiwan Strait.
The two sides are also discussing trade-related issues including agricultural purchases, Boeing aircraft, rare-earth supplies and non-tariff barriers. Progress on several commitments from their previous meeting has been uneven, keeping economic issues high on the agenda.
The summit comes as both governments seek to manage competition while keeping bilateral relations stable. Analysts expect discussions to focus on practical areas of cooperation and the extension of existing arrangements rather than a comprehensive resolution of the broader US-China rivalry.
