By Trevor Hunnicutt
WASHINGTON, Sept 23 (Reuters) - US President Donald Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to Washington on Wednesday for a three-day visit that will test relations between the superpowers as tensions simmer over trade, technology, Taiwan and Tehran.
Xi’s first trip to the US in nearly three years was not expected to deliver major breakthroughs, but Washington and Beijing could extend their 11-month trade truce.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said they had reached a deal on
an extension as Trump greeted Xi personally at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland after the Chinese leader's arrival, underscoring the visit's importance.
China's embassy in Washington had no immediate comment.
At the arrival ceremony, the leaders and their wives shook hands, spoke for a few minutes and stood for pictures as a military band played, cannons blasted and a B-1 military bomber flew overhead.
The welcome marked the first time in 11 years that a US president has greeted a foreign leader at Joint Base Andrews, according to C-SPAN, which tracks presidential events. The last such reception was for Pope Francis in 2015 during Barack Obama's presidency.
POSITIVE SIGNALS ON TRADE COULD SOOTHE MARKETS
A trade deal, even a limited one, could soothe global markets shaken by a 2025 tariff war that led to triple-digit levies between the world’s two biggest economies. Bessent told Fox News' "Special Report" that the deal would extend the truce through January 10. It had been set to expire on November 10.
Deep differences remain. The two countries are at odds on issues including export controls on rare-earth minerals and computer chips, China’s ties with Iran and US support for Taiwan.
The meeting comes at a difficult moment for Trump, who faces falling approval numbers as public discontent with his war on Iran grows. Xi, while also facing challenges at home, arrives in a seemingly stronger position, with his country's trade engine roaring. Some Republicans regard Beijing as an existential threat and are wary of Trump's friendly outreach to China's ruling Communist Party.
People familiar with the plans said Xi was likely to forcefully raise Beijing's claim to Taiwan, a topic Washington would prefer to avoid, while Trump was likely to maintain firm US export controls despite Xi’s objections. It was unclear whether Beijing will help Trump break a stalemate in the conflict with Iran.
But talks set for Thursday could nonetheless yield deals to lower tariffs in specific sectors, cooperate on drug trafficking and expand military-to-military dialogue. Trump is expected to seek the release of some Americans and others detained in China, according to the people.
The two countries could also agree to talk more on AI, where they are in fierce competition despite growing dangers.
The leaders themselves may not feel they need to compromise, analysts said.
"The president very much believes that over time the US economy is going to grow, the US will get stronger," said Edgard Kagan, a former White House official now with Washington's Center for Strategic and International Studies. "I think when Xi Jinping sits down with Donald Trump, he very much believes the US is in hurtling decline, and that time is on China's side."
STATE DINNER WITH AI CHIEFS
Additional fanfare during the trip is due to include a state dinner with tech luminaries, a White House military ceremony including jet flyovers and a visit to the National Archives where the original Declaration of Independence and Constitution are housed.
The state dinner on Thursday is expected to bring together chiefs of companies important in both markets like Apple's Tim Cook, Nvidia's Jensen Huang and OpenAI's Sam Altman.
Despite their deep disagreements, both countries pressed ahead with the summit, which, analysts said, seeks to project stability between the world’s biggest factory and its biggest consumer.
As in their prior two meetings since 2025, the leaders are planning a highly scripted public spectacle. Instead of a joint press conference or statement at the end, the countries are expected to issue dueling announcements highlighting what each side hopes to convey to a domestic audience.
For Trump, the trip caps a week of diplomacy that began with a two-day stay in New York for the United Nations General Assembly. Nearly seven months of war with Iran have spiked energy prices in the US, and the president's Republican Party faces tough prospects in November’s congressional elections.
Xi has overseen a surge in China's foreign trade but faces weak household spending and a property market downturn. Sweeping corruption and discipline crackdowns in the military have helped cement Xi’s power but also raised questions about the People's Liberation Army's readiness.
Another meeting between Trump and Xi is seen as likely this year, potentially at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in China in November or the Group of 20 meetings in the US in December.
(Reporting by Trevor Hunnicutt; additional reporting by Jacob Bogage, Kanishka Singh, David Brunnstrom, Yimou Lee and Ben Blanchard; Editing by Don Durfee, Colleen Jenkins, Cynthia Osterman, Alistair Bell and Sonali Paul)
