Xi heads to Washington for summit with Trump

Chinese President Xi Jinping departed Beijing for Washington on Wednesday for a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump, with trade, artificial intelligence, Taiwan and international conflicts among the issues expected to shape talks between the leaders of the world’s two largest economies. No summit outcomes had been announced as Xi traveled to the United States. Xi flew by special plane with his wife, Peng Liyuan, senior Communist Party official Cai Qi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, according to Chinese state broadcaster CCTV. The White House said Trump planned to meet Xi at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday. A welcoming ceremony, including a military flyover, and formal talks were scheduled for Thursday, followed by a state dinner. The visit is expected to conclude Friday. The leaders meet as Washington and Beijing seek to manage trade tensions. A truce reached in October 2025 suspended planned U.S. tariff increases on Chinese goods and saw Beijing ease restrictions on rare-earth exports, according to reporting on the agreement. It is set to expire in November 2026, and officials and analysts have focused on whether the two sides will extend it. U.S.