Chinese President Xi Jinping begins a three-day U.S. state visit on September 23, 2026, with President Donald Trump expected to greet him at Joint Base Andrews. White House talks will focus on trade, artificial intelligence, rare earths and wider U.S.-China tensions.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to begin a three-day state visit to the United States on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, with President Donald Trump expected to personally greet him at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington, D.C. Such an airport welcome by a U.S. president is unusual and will precede the formal White House program.
Trump plans rare airport welcome
Trump is expected to participate in an arrival ceremony at Joint Base Andrews with Xi and Xi's wife, Peng Liyuan. The visit follows Trump's May 2026 trip to China, where he attended meetings and a state banquet with Xi in Beijing.
Xi's September 23-25 trip is his first U.S. state visit in more than a decade and follows an agreement between the two presidents in May to continue working toward what the White House described as greater strategic stability in U.S.-China relations.
White House talks focus on trade, AI and rare earths
Formal White House events are scheduled for Thursday, September 24, including an arrival ceremony, a military review and a state dinner. U.S. officials said trade, rare-earth supplies and artificial intelligence are expected to be among the major subjects discussed.
The talks come amid continuing differences involving Taiwan, Iran, tariffs, advanced technology and supply chains. Reuters reported that those broader strategic issues are also expected to shape the discussions.
State dinner draws technology leaders
The state dinner is expected to include prominent technology executives. Reuters reported that invited guests include Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, Apple CEO Tim Cook, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell.
Their participation comes as artificial intelligence, semiconductor technology and other advanced technologies occupy an increasingly important place in U.S.-China economic discussions.
Visit continues through Friday
Xi and Peng are scheduled to return to the White House on Friday, September 25, for a private tea with Trump and first lady Melania Trump before visiting the National Archives in Washington.
The visit comes as Washington and Beijing seek to maintain high-level communication despite unresolved economic and strategic disputes. Any concrete agreements or policy changes are expected to become clearer after the leaders complete their principal talks on Thursday.
