BEIJING: China’s leader Xi Jinping will visit the United States this week for talks with President Donald Trump, Beijing confirmed on Monday, expressing hope they will strengthen “strategic stability” between the world’s two largest economies.
Washington had already made clear that the leaders would meet in a bid to find common ground on trade disputes, artificial intelligence and broader strategic issues, including the Iran war.
Xi will make a state visit to the United States from Wednesday to Friday, a Chinese government statement said.
Foreign ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said the two leaders would “have an in-depth exchange of views on major issues concerning China-US relations and world peace and development”.
NYT report claims US agrees to extend trade tariff truce by six months though China sought longer extension
Beijing would “work with the US to enrich the substance of the relationship of constructive strategic stability between China and the US... (and) properly manage differences”, he added.
Trump will personally welcome Xi at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday before their meetings the following day, a US official confirmed.
“I’ll be discussing almost everything with him,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.
According to the New York Times, the US has agreed to extend trade tariff truce by six months though China has pushed for a longer extension of the current trade truce.
The simmering trade war between the two countries is a key concern: while both sides have maintained a tariff truce for nearly a year, they have yet to secure a lasting agreement.
Vice Premier He Lifeng, China’s top negotiator for trade, is in the United States for meetings with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
The two discussed creating a communication channel for AI concerns when they met at the weekend.
Warnings of AI apocalypse
Warnings of an AI apocalypse have hung heavy over the upcoming meeting, as both countries race for technological supremacy.
“The US has proposed that we have a notification mechanism between the two countries,” Bessent said.
Such notifications are for potential “incidents”, or a situation “that rises up to a national security level from AI”, he said.
Trump’s war on Iran casts a long shadow too, as China seeks to avoid US sanctions against countries dealing with Tehran.
China is one of Iran’s top economic partners and diplomatic backers, buys much of Tehran’s oil output and has sought to mediate in the war that has entered its seventh month.
However, analysts caution that expectations for the Trump-Xi summit are low.
Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2026
