China Confirms Xi Jinping State Visit to US This Week for Trump Talks

President Xi Jinping expressed hope on Monday that younger generations will advance Sino-US cooperation and foster mutual understanding, according to Chinese state media.

Xinhua reported Xi's remarks came in his reply to a letter from students at 10 US universities who attended a youth exchange program in China earlier this month. Xi's comments precede his state visit to Washington to meet US President Donald Trump from Wednesday to Friday, September 23 to 25. This marks Xi's first visit to the White House since 2015.

US First Lady Melania Trump will lead cultural diplomacy events, including a visit with Peng Liyuan to the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art. The visit will feature extensive ceremonial honors, including a full honor guard display by 479 military personnel and a joint military flyover. President Trump will personally welcome Xi at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday, a rare presidential airport welcome.

The Chinese Foreign Ministry confirmed the visit on Monday, stating the leaders will have an in-depth exchange of views on major issues concerning China-U.S. Relations and world peace and development. Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun called the exchange of visits by the two presidents within half a year a milestone of historic significance. Discussions are expected to focus on economic cooperation, including potential agreements on rare-earth minerals, artificial intelligence, and advanced technology.

The leaders last met in Beijing in May. A trade truce struck last year averted a major shock to the global economy, and a key focus of the September 24 meeting is whether the leaders will signal its extension. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng held preparatory talks in New York on Sunday, discussing AI guardrails and trade in non-sensitive products.

Trump stated he would discuss almost everything with Xi. The US government prohibits the export of high-performance chips to China, while Beijing restricts rare earth elements exports. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman suggested Trump and Xi would deserve the Nobel Peace Prize if they agreed on AI risk levels. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton also suggested enlisting China in AI regulation efforts.