Chinese President Welcomed by Donald Trump at White House as Leaders Discuss Key Bilateral and Global Issues
GTNS
SEPTEMBER 25, 2026 Chinese President Xi Jinping is in Washington for a three-day state visit to the United States from September 23 to 25, at the invitation of U.S. President Donald Trump, with the high-level engagement placing the future direction of U.S.-China relations in international focus.
As part of the official programme, Trump and First Lady Melania Trump hosted Xi and Chinese First Lady Peng Liyuan at the White House for a formal state arrival ceremony on September 24. The event included military honours, national anthems and a military review.
The White House programme also included a state dinner for the Chinese president and his wife. The visit was scheduled to conclude on September 25 following further engagements in Washington, including a tea meeting and a visit to the National Archives.
The Trump-Xi meetings come amid continuing discussions over trade, technology, artificial intelligence, critical minerals and wider geopolitical issues, including tensions involving Taiwan and the Middle East. Reuters reported that Washington and Beijing were also working around an existing trade truce during the visit.
For Beijing and Washington, the three-day engagement provides an opportunity for direct discussions at the highest level while differences remain across economic, technological and security matters.
Xi’s visit is also notable for the scale of the official welcome arranged by the White House. The ceremony featured hundreds of U.S. military personnel and a formal military display, underlining the diplomatic significance attached to the Chinese president’s visit.
As the three-day programme reaches its conclusion, attention remains focused on what the two governments announce from the meetings and whether the discussions produce further arrangements on trade and other areas of bilateral cooperation.