Trump-Xi Summit Itinerary: Complete Schedule of the Chinese President’s Three-Day State Visit to the US from September 23 to 25 | Today’s news
Chinese President Xi Jinping will arrive in Washington on Wednesday (September 23rd) for a three-day state visit and second summit with US President Donald Trump in less than six months. Xi is accompanied by his wife Peng Liyuan, senior Chinese official Cai Qi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Trump is set to give Xi a high-level welcome, with a visit that will include an airport arrival ceremony, a meeting at the White House, a state dinner and a visit to the National Archives.
The two leaders are expected to discuss trade, technology, artificial intelligence, Taiwan, Iran, Ukraine, military ties and US arms sales to Taiwan.
Here is the full itinerary.
Wednesday, September 23: Xi arrives in Washington
Xi and Peng are scheduled to arrive at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, near Washington, on Wednesday evening.
Trump and first lady Melania Trump are set to travel to a military base to personally welcome the Chinese president and Peng to the tarmac. The flight is scheduled to arrive at 18:00 local time (2200 GMT).
Trump and Xi are also expected to attend the arrival ceremony at the military base.
The welcome is part of an unusually elaborate program planned for Xi Jinping’s first visit to the US in nearly three years and his first visit to the White House in more than a decade.
Thursday, September 24: Trump-Xi meeting and state dinner
Thursday is expected to be the main day of the Trump-Xi summit.
Trump will welcome Xi and Peng to the White House before the two presidents move to the Rose Garden for a military inspection and begin their bilateral meeting. Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan are expected to attend a separate event in the Washington area.
Interviews are expected to cover a wide range of issues, including:
US-China trade and tariffs
Artificial intelligence and technology
Military-military ties
The leaders are also expected to discuss the future of trade relations between the two countries. Washington and Beijing are negotiating a reciprocal framework of tariff cuts that will apply to about $30 billion worth of products from each side, according to the material supplied.
State dinner at the White House
On Thursday evening, Trump and Melania will host Xi and Peng for a state dinner in the East Room of the White House.
Top technology and business leaders are expected to attend the dinner, including Apple CEO Tim Cook, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Trump and Xi are expected to speak at the start of the dinner.
Friday 25 September: Tea, visit to the National Archives and departure
Xi Jinping’s final day in Washington will include a more festive program.
Trump and Melania will host Xi and Peng for a private tea at the White House. Both presidential couples will then travel to the National Archives in Washington.
They are expected to review the historic founding documents of the US, including the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.
After visiting the National Archives, Xi and Peng will return to Joint Base Andrews, where they will depart the United States.
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What will Trump and Xi discuss?
The summit comes at a time when Washington and Beijing remain divided on several key issues.
Trade and tariffs: Both sides are negotiating to reduce tariffs, while China’s dominance in rare earth supplies remains an important part of Beijing’s economic influence.
Artificial intelligence and technology: Artificial intelligence is expected to be at the fore as the US and China compete for leadership in technology. The two countries could discuss greater cooperation on AI risks, although the material supplied says expectations of a major deal are low.
Taiwan: Xi Jinping expected to press Trump over US arms sales to Taiwan. China has strongly opposed the announced $11 billion US arms package for Taipei.
Iran: Given Beijing’s close ties with Tehran and China’s role in the global oil market, the Iran-US conflict is expected to feature in the talks.
Ukraine: Trump is expected to urge Xi Jinping to use Beijing’s ties with Moscow to encourage Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine.
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