China's President Xi Jinping arrived for a three-day state visit to Washington. Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan landed on Wednesday evening (local time) at a military airfield near the US capital. They were received there by US President Donald Trump and his wife Melania.
Xi Jinping visits the USA: US Treasury Secretary is open to extending peace in trade
From trade policy to the Iran war – many contentious issues are on the agenda during Xi Jinping's three-day state visit to the USA. The latest in the live ticker.
American President Donald Trump receives Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday for a three-day visit to Washington. Discussions about the tensions between the two superpowers in trade and technology issues, as well as the Iran war, are accompanied by pomp and ceremony.
On the occasion of the Chinese head of state's first trip to the USA in almost three years, Trump personally welcomed Xi and his wife upon their arrival at the military airfield.
The agenda includes a state banquet, to which Reuters reports that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and Apple Executive Chairman Tim Cook are expected to attend. A military ceremony is also planned at the White House. However, expectations for a breakthrough in the talks are low.
According to the US Treasury Secretary, the USA is prepared to extend the peace in trade between the USA and China, which expires on November 10th. The USA is also prepared to consider a trade agreement, said American Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent after a meeting with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng in Washington.
The meeting served to prepare for the upcoming summit between the leaders of both countries. The expiring peace in trade is one of the central topics that Chinese President Xi Jinping and American President Donald Trump will likely discuss at the White House on Thursday.
China's state and party chief Xi Jinping left Beijing for a state visit to the USA late Wednesday afternoon (local time). This was reported by the Chinese state news agency Xinhua. Xinhua writes that Xi was accompanied by his wife Peng Liyuan, his chief of staff Cai Qi, and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
America's undisputed leadership is over, writes foreign correspondent Katrin Büchenbacher in the NZZ editorial. There is talk of a new détente between China and the USA. However, the rivalry remains unbroken.
The American government has imposed extensive sanctions on many Chinese companies. Nevertheless, leading tech companies accompany Xi Jinping on his US trip on Wednesday in the hope of still finding access to the American market.
A few months after Donald Trump's visit to Beijing in May, China's head of state Xi Jinping travels to Washington on Wednesday. The US President has an extensive program until Friday, including a military parade and a state banquet.
Several contentious issues are in focus during the three-day visit:
- Trade policy: The peace in trade between the two superpowers agreed in October 2025 expires on November 10th in important parts. The question is how it will proceed.
- Artificial intelligence: The USA and China are in a race for the most powerful models, computer chips, and data centers. At the same time, there are growing fears about the dangers of AI.
- Iran war: China is by far the largest buyer of Iranian oil and an important political partner of Tehran. Washington hopes for Chinese pressure regarding the Strait of Hormuz.
- Ukraine war: The new US sanctions package against Russia allows Trump to impose tariffs on countries that buy Russian oil or gas - China could also be affected.
- Taiwan conflict: Another point of contention is US arms sales to Taiwan. At the summit in China in May, Trump left the decision on a weapons package worth over 14 billion US dollars open - the arms sales have been postponed to this day.