US President Donald Trump said Friday that he will host Chinese President Xi Jinping for a state dinner during Xi’s planned White House visit on September 24. Trump said the two countries would pursue positive developments despite ongoing tensions between Washington and Beijing.
“We’re going to have a state dinner, and we’re going to do great things with China,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
US-China Trade Truce Faces Challenges
The planned visit comes as the war involving Iran threatens to complicate relations between the world’s two largest economies. However, the conflict may receive limited attention as both governments focus on protecting their fragile trade truce.
Trump and Xi last met in Beijing four months ago, where Chinese officials gave the US president and business leaders a lavish reception. Nevertheless, the meeting produced few major commercial agreements or clear breakthroughs on difficult issues such as Iran and Taiwan.
Both governments now appear focused on preventing fresh disputes from damaging their current economic understanding. As a result, analysts expect the upcoming summit to emphasize stability and practical agreements rather than major geopolitical breakthroughs.
Analysts Lower Expectations for Summit
Craig Singleton, senior director for China at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, described the relationship as increasingly focused on transactions without trust. He also said both sides were achieving stability without resolving their fundamental disputes.
Singleton characterized the upcoming meeting as a low-expectations summit aimed primarily at managing the existing stalemate. Meanwhile, Washington and Beijing continue balancing trade interests against broader strategic disagreements.
Trump has confirmed September 24 as the planned date for Xi’s Washington visit. However, China has not officially confirmed the trip, leaving some uncertainty over the final arrangements for the White House meeting and state dinner.
