Trump Hosts Xi in Washington for Second 2026 Summit
President Donald Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington on Sept. 24, 2026, for their second summit of the year.
It was the second Trump-Xi summit of 2026, according to Reuters. Live coverage of the summit on Sept. 25 placed the meeting in Washington.
Trump greeted Xi in person at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, according to Reuters. A greeting by the president at arrival puts the welcome at the presidential level from the start.
Trump and Xi were expected to discuss trade, artificial intelligence — computer systems that can learn and act — and the U.S. war on Iran, according to Al Jazeera. The three-item agenda covered the economic tie, tech policy and a conflict involving a third country.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the United States and China had reached a deal to extend the trade truce, according to Reuters. He spoke ahead of the leaders' talks. His statement framed the trade portion as a continuation, not a new agreement. A truce in this use means a pause on new tariffs and penalties.
The White House on Sept. 24 published briefing details on the State Dinner with Xi, President of the People's Republic of China, and Madame Peng Liyuan, according to the White House. The dinner was the formal social part of the Washington visit.
The White House on Sept. 24 also published a briefing about First Lady Melania Trump and Madame Peng Liyuan visiting the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art, according to the White House. The spouses' program ran alongside the leaders' schedule.
The Washington summit followed an earlier meeting in which Xi hosted Trump in Beijing, as stated in material on China's Foreign Ministry website. That account appeared in an interview with Fei Shengchao published on the ministry website. Fei is China's ambassador to Belgium, according to the Foreign Ministry.
On the Chinese briefing side, Guo Jiakun is a spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry who holds regular press conferences. A ministry press briefing included a question about China's position on the Iran war and U.S. promises to expand sanctions targeting Iran, according to the Foreign Ministry.
The broader context here is sequencing. A second summit in one calendar year, paired with a state dinner and a separate spouses' visit, gives both staffs multiple channels to record positions. Leaders can address trade, AI and Iran in the bilateral meeting, while finance officials carry the truce extension and press officials handle public explanation.
Looking at what this means for the next steps, the items to watch are written follow-through. Bessent said there was a deal to extend the trade truce. The test for that kind of statement is publication of terms, duration and implementing guidance. The test for the summit agenda is whether trade, AI and Iran appear in joint readouts or in separate, parallel statements.
