Trump Rolls Out Red Carpet for Xi at White House

United States President Donald Trump is hosting Chinese President Xi Jinping for an elaborate White House state visit as Washington and Beijing seek to maintain stability in their relationship despite continuing tensions over trade, technology, Taiwan and Iran.

Xi arrived in Washington on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, for a three-day visit, his first trip to the United States in nearly three years and his first visit to Washington in more than a decade.

Trump took the unusual step of personally welcoming Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. First Lady Melania Trump also joined the reception as the two presidential couples met on a red carpet.

The arrival ceremony included a military band playing the national anthems and a flyover by two B-1 bombers. Trump later described the reception positively, saying he believed the Chinese delegation appreciated the welcome.

The ceremonies continue on Thursday with a formal state arrival at the White House involving hundreds of US military personnel, musical performances and a military review. A flyover involving a B-2 Spirit bomber and four F-22 Raptors is also planned.

Trump and Xi are expected to hold talks covering trade, artificial intelligence, Taiwan, rare-earth minerals and Iran. The meeting comes as both governments seek to prevent renewed economic confrontation between the world’s two largest economies.

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Washington and Beijing had agreed to extend their existing trade truce until January 10, giving both sides more time for negotiations. The arrangement had previously been due to expire in November.

Xi, in remarks reported by Chinese state media after his arrival, called for a more stable relationship between the two countries and said China and the United States should be partners rather than rivals.

Despite the diplomatic display, major breakthroughs are not widely expected from the talks. The visit is instead focused partly on maintaining communication and preventing existing disagreements from escalating.

Trump and Melania will also host Xi and Peng at a state dinner in the White House East Room on Thursday evening. The guest list is expected to include prominent technology and business executives, including Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Tim Cook, Sundar Pichai, Sam Altman, Jensen Huang and Michael Dell.

The state visit is scheduled to conclude on Friday after the two presidential couples have tea at the White House and visit the National Archives in Washington, where they are expected to view historical documents connected to US-China relations.

The elaborate reception comes only months after Trump visited China in May, making the Washington meeting the second between Trump and Xi this year as the two governments attempt to manage competition while keeping diplomatic and economic relations from deteriorating.

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