WASHINGTON — Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in the United States on the 23rd for a summit with President Donald Trump. Through the 25th, Xi will join Trump for a packed three-day program that includes a state welcoming ceremony, the summit, a state dinner, an informal tea meeting and a tour of the National Archives in Washington.
Xi's plane landed at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland at about 5:40 p.m. Eastern time. Trump and first lady Melania Trump greeted Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, as they stepped off the aircraft. It is Xi's first state visit to the United States since 2015, under the Barack Obama administration, an 11-year gap.
This is the third meeting between the two leaders since Trump began his second term. They met in Busan last October, and Trump traveled to Beijing in May this year. They are expected to meet again in November at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Shenzhen, China, and again in December at the Group of 20 summit in Miami.
Analysts expect the summit to produce agreements including the opening of an artificial intelligence hotline and the launch of a bilateral trade committee. The suspension of steep tariffs, which expires in November, may not be extended at this meeting, according to observers. China wants a one-year extension, but the United States, dissatisfied with Beijing's follow-through on its commitments, believes the period should be shortened to three to six months to keep pressure on China.
