Trump-Xi summit itinerary: Full schedule of Chinese president’s 3-day US state visit from Sept 23-25

Chinese President Xi Jinping will arrive in Washington on Wednesday (September 23) for a three-day state visit and a second summit with US President Donald Trump in less than six months. Xi is accompanied by his wife Peng Liyuan, senior Chinese official Cai Qi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Trump is set to give Xi a high-profile welcome, with the visit featuring an airport arrival ceremony, White House meetings, a state dinner and a visit to the National Archives.

The two leaders are expected to discuss trade, technology, AI, Taiwan, Iran, Ukraine, military ties and US arms sales to Taiwan.

Here is the full itinerary.

Wednesday, September 23: Xi arrives in Washington

Xi and Peng are scheduled to arrive at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, near Washington, on Wednesday evening.

Trump and first lady Melania Trump are set to travel to the military base to personally welcome the Chinese president and Peng on the tarmac. The arrival is scheduled for 6 pm local time (2200 GMT).

Trump and Xi are also expected to participate in an arrival ceremony at the military base.

The welcome is part of an unusually elaborate programme planned for Xi's first US visit in nearly three years and first White House visit in more than a decade.

Thursday, September 24: Trump-Xi talks and state dinner

Thursday is expected to be the main day of the Trump-Xi summit.

Trump will welcome Xi and Peng at the White House before the two presidents move to the Rose Garden for a military review and begin their bilateral meeting. Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan are expected to attend a separate event in the Washington area.

The talks are expected to cover a broad range of issues, including:

US-China trade and tariffs

Artificial intelligence and technology

Taiwan

Rare-earth minerals

Iran and the Middle East

Russia-Ukraine war

Military-to-military ties

US arms sales to Taiwan

The leaders are also expected to discuss the future of the two countries' trade relationship. Washington and Beijing are negotiating a reciprocal tariff reduction framework covering products worth about $30 billion from each side, according to the supplied material.

State dinner at the White House

On Thursday evening, Trump and Melania will host Xi and Peng for a state dinner in the East Room of the White House.

The dinner is expected to include prominent technology and business leaders, including Apple CEO Tim Cook, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Trump and Xi are expected to speak at the beginning of the dinner.

Friday, September 25: Tea, National Archives visit and departure

Xi's final day in Washington will include a more ceremonial schedule.

Trump and Melania will host Xi and Peng for private tea at the White House. The two presidential couples will then travel to the National Archives in Washington.

They are expected to view historic US founding documents, including the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

After the National Archives visit, Xi and Peng will return to Joint Base Andrews, from where they will depart the United States.

What will Trump and Xi discuss?

The summit comes as Washington and Beijing remain divided on several major issues.

Trade and tariffs: The two sides are negotiating tariff reductions, while China's dominance of rare-earth supplies remains an important part of Beijing's economic leverage.

AI and technology: AI is expected to feature prominently as the US and China compete for technological leadership. The two countries could discuss greater cooperation on AI risks, although the supplied material says expectations of a major agreement are low.

Taiwan: Xi is expected to press Trump over US arms sales to Taiwan. China has strongly opposed the reported $11 billion US arms package for Taipei.

Iran: The Iran-US conflict is also expected to feature in the talks, given Beijing's close ties with Tehran and China's role in the global oil market.

Ukraine: Trump is expected to urge Xi to use Beijing's relationship with Moscow to encourage Russian President Vladimir Putin to end the war in Ukraine.