Xi’s Three-Day Washington Visit: Arrival Honors, Trade Truce, State Dinner — Archives Tour and Departure Today

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s first state visit to the United States in more than a decade runs Sept. 23–25. President Donald Trump met him and Peng Liyuan on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday, a planeside greeting the White House rarely extends. The three-day program has included closed-door talks, a formal White House arrival and state dinner Thursday, and a Friday schedule of tea at the White House, a joint tour of the National Archives, and departure.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng locked in a two-month extension of the existing U.S.–China trade truce before the leaders sat down. The pause now runs through Jan. 10, 2027. Officials said the extra time is for work on a longer deal covering tariffs, technology, artificial intelligence, and rare-earth export controls. The White House also described an AI-safety “hotline.” Fentanyl precursor flows and Taiwan remain on the broader agenda the two governments have listed around the summit. No comprehensive tariff rollback was announced Thursday.

At the White House on Thursday, Xi said the two sides had “reached common understanding on many issues,” that both countries lead in AI, and that “achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making America great again can go hand-in-hand.” Trump said the leaders had made “tremendous strides” and pointed to a “board of trade” aimed at balancing commerce. Xi announced that two giant pandas — Ping Ping, a male, and Fu Shuang (also reported as Fuhuan or Fu Shang) — will go to Zoo Atlanta “in a few days,” restoring animals to a zoo that returned its last bears to China in 2024. He also said China would invite 100,000 young Americans to study in China over five years. The National Zoo and San Diego Zoo already hold pandas under separate loans.

The Thursday state dinner featured sea bass and a guest list that included technology executives. Reporting placed Elon Musk at the head table. Melania Trump released the formal program in advance. The couples were also shown the new South Lawn helipad and a Marine One demonstration as part of the ceremonial day. Trump did not hold a separate bilateral with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the same week; Netanyahu addressed the U.N. General Assembly while Xi was in Washington.

Friday is the last day on the published itinerary. Xi and Peng are scheduled to return to the White House for a private tea with the Trumps, then join them at the National Archives. After that, the Chinese party is due to leave. The visit is Xi’s first full state stop in Washington since the Obama years. What has been signed so far is the short truce extension, the panda transfer, the student-invitation pledge, and the public statements from both leaders. Negotiators still have until mid-January on a broader trade text.