Xi Jinping’s State Visit to the US in 11 Years: What Trump and the Chinese Leader Will Discuss | Today’s news
Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to make his first state visit to the US in more than a decade next week and will meet President Donald Trump at the White House on September 24.
Xi’s visit will be his first visit to the White House since 2015, when he met with then-President Barack Obama. Trump is preparing an unusually high welcome, including a personal greeting from Xi Jinping at Joint Base Andrews, when he arrives on Wednesday (September 23).
The visit comes as Washington and Beijing struggle to preserve a fragile trade truce while competing for technology, critical minerals and geopolitical influence. The two leaders are also expected to discuss issues such as trade, tariffs, artificial intelligence, rare earths, Taiwan, the Iran war, China’s economic ties with Iran and the flow of chemical precursors to fentanyl.
Here are the key issues expected to dominate the Trump-Xi talks.
1. Customs and trade
Trade is likely to be a central economic issue.
The US and China are trying to maintain a tariff truce set to expire in November. Washington and Beijing are negotiating possible tariff reductions on a limited range of non-strategic goods, while also discussing agriculture and energy trade.
The U.S. and China are also considering reducing tariffs covering about $30 billion in goods on each side. One particular area of discussion is China’s tariffs on US liquefied natural gas.
2. Rare earths and critical minerals
Another important point of negotiation is rare earths.
China controls a dominant share of global rare earth processing, supplying minerals and magnets used in smartphones, electric vehicles, advanced electronics, aerospace and defense equipment.
Beijing has previously restricted exports of some critical minerals, making rare earths a powerful bargaining chip in the trade dispute. Washington wants more predictable supplies, while China seeks relief from American technology and export restrictions.
US officials have indicated that Washington is not prepared to trade its own export controls in exchange for greater Chinese supplies of rare earths.
3. Artificial intelligence and the technological race
Artificial intelligence has become one of the newest and most important areas of US-China competition.
Trump and Xi are expected to discuss AI security, the risks posed by increasingly powerful AI systems and ways to maintain communication between the two countries.
The issue is complicated by Washington’s restrictions on China’s access to advanced semiconductors and AI technology. Beijing has criticized U.S. efforts to restrict Chinese technology companies, while U.S. officials have expressed concerns about China’s access to U.S. artificial intelligence capabilities.
The presence of top tech executives at Trump’s state dinner for Xi — including Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Tesla’s Elon Musk, Google’s Sundar Pichai and Apple’s Tim Cook — also underscores the importance of technology to the visit.
4. Taiwan
Taiwan remains the most sensitive security issue between Washington and Beijing.
China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, while the Taiwanese government rejects Beijing’s claims to sovereignty. The US does not maintain formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but provides it with military equipment under US law.
A potential US arms package for Taiwan worth up to $14 billion could raise tensions around the summit.
Chinese officials want Trump to go beyond Washington’s traditional line that he does not support Taiwanese independence and explicitly opposes Taiwan independence.
5. Iran War, Oil and Energy Security
The US-Iran war and its impact on energy supplies are also expected to be part of the broader Trump-Xi discussions.
China is a major buyer of Iranian oil, giving Beijing an important economic relationship with Tehran. Meanwhile, Washington is trying to pressure Iran and its economic partners.
The conflict has disrupted energy flows and raised concerns about global oil supplies, making China’s relationship with Iran relevant to US efforts to manage the broader crisis.
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6. Chemical precursors of fentanyl
Another US priority is the flow of chemical precursors of fentanyl from China to criminal networks.
Washington has repeatedly urged Beijing to take stronger action against companies and networks involved in the supply of chemicals used to make fentanyl.
The issue has already come up in U.S.-China talks and remains part of a broader U.S. effort to secure China’s cooperation in the fight against narcotics.
7. Agricultural purchases
Agricultural purchases, particularly US agricultural products, are another area where the two sides could find common ground.
There could also be movement in the purchase of Boeing aircraft. China has previously discussed orders for large aircraft, making Boeing a potentially significant part of any package of trade deals accompanying the summit.
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