Trump and Xi to Meet at White House Amid High-Stakes Trade Talks
Donald Trump and Xi Jinping will hold a rare White House summit this week, covering an expiring trade truce, rare earth supplies and AI safety, though analysts expect no major breakthrough.
Amid the flurry of UN General Assembly events this week, the most closely watched is the upcoming meeting between US president Donald Trump and Chinese president Xi Jinping. Rather than New York, the two leaders will meet at the White House, with Trump set to personally greet Xi at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday, September 23 — an unusual gesture, since US presidents rarely welcome foreign leaders at the airport.
Ahead of that meeting, a US delegation led by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer is meeting with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng to set the agenda.
Trade Truce on the Line
The trade truce reached during Trump and Xi's meeting in Busan last year is set to expire November 10. Both governments must decide whether to extend the deal, which had lowered tariff threats and paused port fees. Talks may also address purchase targets for agricultural goods, energy and Boeing aircraft, as well as a roughly $30 billion package of "non-sensitive" goods still under negotiation. The Busan agreement also lifted China's export limits on rare earths and minerals, materials critical for automobiles, defense and AI hardware — an area where Beijing has used its dominant market position as leverage.
AI Competition and Geopolitical Tensions
Bessent has said AI safety will be on the agenda, a topic pushed by business leaders though the industry is divided on the desired outcome. Beijing wants eased US restrictions on Chinese technology, while some US businesses worry about falling behind China if AI development slows.
The talks are complicated by sensitive geopolitical issues: China has threatened to withdraw from the summit entirely if the US approves new arms sales to Taiwan. The two sides are also expected to discuss China's economic ties with Iran and the status of detained foreign nationals.
Analyst Anna Ashton of Ashton Intelligence said the summit will likely produce some visible "deliverables" but no major breakthrough, with both sides probably content to maintain the status quo.
