President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump greet Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan as they arrive at Joint Base Andrews, Md., Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2026. /Mark Schiefelbein)
WASHINGTON (TNND) —President Donald Trump will welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House on Thursday for a high-profile state visit expected to center on trade, artificial intelligence, Taiwan and the war in Iran.
Trump and Xi are scheduled to deliver public remarks during a White House arrival ceremony before holding a private Oval Office meeting and an expanded bilateral session. They are expected to speak again before Thursday night’s state dinner.
Trump called Thursday “a big day with President Xi of China” in a Truth Social post, adding that his coined term for artificial intelligence, <a href="https://thenationaldesk.com/top-videos/trump-tells-world-leaders-ai-should-be-called-something-else-he-wont-rein-it-in-united-states-open-ai-claude-marco-rubio#” rel=”nofollow noopener” target=”_blank”>“Super Intelligence,” would be a major topic of discussion.
“I want to leave it exactly where it is. That is China’s position also. Our guardrail is the DOJ!” Trump wrote.
The visit began with a tangible, if temporary, trade development. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday the U.S. and China agreed to extend their one-year trade truce, which was set to expire Nov. 10, by two months. The extension averts an immediate escalation in tariffs but leaves negotiators searching for a broader deal.
Taiwan is expected to be another major point of tension. Xi wants Trump to permanently halt U.S. arms sales to the self-governing island, which Beijing claims as its territory and has vowed to take by force if necessary.
The United States is required by law to provide Taiwan with hardware sufficient to deter an armed attack from the mainland. After meeting Xi in Beijing in May, Trump held off on final approval of a record $14 billion arms package for Taiwan that was in the pipeline. Trump has described arms sales to Taiwan as “a very good negotiating chip” with China.
The meeting also comes as the U.S. and China compete for dominance in AI, while technology leaders and lawmakers in both parties urge stronger safety rulesto ensure people retain control of increasingly capable systems.
During remarks Tuesday at the United Nations General Assembly, Trump said the United States is outcompeting China and the rest of the world in AI and that he intends to keep it that way. He rejected international limits on AI development, saying the Justice Department and other law enforcement agencies could address problems if they arise.
We’re leading now over China by a lot and everyone else. And we’re going to keep it that way. We’re going to keep it very, very straight and very strong. I’m not going to stifle growth of something that will be bigger than the industrial revolution, many say bigger than the industrial revolution or the internet itself,” Trump said.
One possible area of cooperation is a proposed notification mechanism for AI-related incidents that could affect national security. Bessent said the two leaders may be open to the idea, but it remains unclear whether they will reach an agreement.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos are among the technology leaders expected to attend Thursday’s state dinner. Altman’s company has called for the United States to lead on AI safety standards, while Huang has argued that existing laws are adequate.
The Iran war adds another layer of strain to Xi’s visit. China has resisted Trump administration calls to use its leverage with Tehran to push Iran to accept U.S. terms for ending the conflict, and Beijing has condemned U.S. and Israeli military action.
Trump could press Xi over China’s ties with Iran. A recent report by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission said China has provided Tehran with economic, technological and diplomatic support that has helped it mitigate sanctions, sustain oil exports and acquire dual-use technologies used in drones, ballistic missiles and other weapons.
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