CHINA’S President Xi Jinping arrived in Washington on Wednesday for his first visit to the United States in nearly three years, with trade, technology, Taiwan and Iran among the key issues facing his talks with US President Donald Trump.
The visit has already produced a limited economic agreement, with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent saying Washington and Beijing had agreed to extend their 11-month trade truce until Jan 10. The truce had been due to expire on Nov 10.
Reuters cited today that Trump personally welcomed Xi at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland after the Chinese leader's arrival, underscoring the importance both sides have placed on the three-day visit.
The summit comes amid continuing differences over export controls on rare-earth minerals and computer chips, China's ties with Iran and US support for Taiwan.
People familiar with the plans said Xi was likely to raise Beijing's claims over Taiwan, an issue Washington has sought to avoid, while Trump was expected to maintain US export controls despite China's objections.
It remained unclear whether Beijing would help Washington resolve the impasse over the conflict with Iran.
The leaders could nonetheless reach agreements in specific areas, including lower tariffs on selected goods, cooperation on drug trafficking, expanded military-to-military dialogue and further talks on artificial intelligence.
The two countries could also discuss the detention of Americans and others in China, with Trump expected to seek the release of some detainees, according to people familiar with the plans.
Despite the deep disagreements, both sides have pressed ahead with the summit in an effort to project stability between the world's biggest manufacturing power and largest consumer market.
The leaders are expected to hold a highly scripted programme, including a state dinner on Thursday attended by technology executives including Apple's Tim Cook, Nvidia's Jensen Huang and OpenAI's Sam Altman.
The summit is not expected to produce a broad resolution of the disputes between Washington and Beijing, but the extension of the trade truce gives both sides additional time to negotiate outstanding economic issues.
Another Trump-Xi meeting is also possible later this year, potentially on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in China in November or the Group of 20 meetings in the United States in December. - September 24, 2026
