▲ Trump and Xi Jinping
Chinese President Xi Jinping departed Beijing on a presidential aircraft bound for Washington, D.C., on September 23, kicking off a three-day visit to the United States.
Making his first state visit to the US in 11 years, President Xi is scheduled to hold a summit with US President Donald Trump on September 24 local time.
The upcoming summit comes about four months after President Trump's visit to China last May, marking the third US-China summit since the launch of the second Trump administration.
Observers note that rather than attempting to resolve all-out conflicts, the two leaders are expected to focus on stably managing US-China relations, such as extending the "trade truce" maintained since last year and establishing minimal safety guards in key competitive fields like artificial intelligence (AI).
In particular, as negotiations held just before the summit between US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng discussed an AI accident notification system and concrete consultation methods for trade, attention has focused on to what level the two leaders will elevate these into agreements.
However, US export controls on advanced AI semiconductors and related equipment, which remain at the core of the two countries' strategic competition, are highly likely to remain a separate issue.
Jamieson Greer, the United States Trade Representative (USTR), stated that export controls on advanced AI chips and semiconductor equipment are not included in the AI consultation mechanism being discussed this time.
US officials have also not mentioned any separate progress regarding critical mineral supply issues such as rare earths following recent high-level talks.
Consequently, it is being discussed that the Washington summit may continue the truce in a manner of accumulating agreements in areas with relatively low potential for conflict, similar to the Beijing talks.
According to major foreign media outlets including the Associated Press, the US is known to have proposed safety measures to China, such as requiring both countries to notify each other if an AI model becomes uncontrollable or a serious accident occurs.
Reuters projected that the AI hegemony race will be a core issue running through this summit, pointing out that while both countries view AI development as an important factor in economic and military competitiveness, they have failed to narrow their differences regarding China's access to advanced semiconductors, suspicions of US technology replication, and regulations on the AI industry.
Regarding the preliminary talks between the economic chiefs of the US and China, Beijing has only conveyed facts through state-run media like Xinhua, stating that both sides discussed AI and held candid, in-depth, and constructive exchanges, without mentioning specific agendas.
Observations suggest that the two nations' differing stances surrounding AI could also be reflected in the composition of President Xi's entourage.
The South China Morning Post (SCMP) of Hong Kong reported, citing experts, that China may have excluded heads of major AI companies such as DeepSeek and Moonshot from President Xi's delegation to protect core AI talent.
In the trade sector, the extension of the "trade truce" formed around the time of last year's Busan summit and issues concerning exports of agricultural products, energy, and rare earths were expected to emerge as major agendas.
In particular, the export of agricultural products such as soybeans, which carries relatively low sensitivity in bilateral trade relations, is cited as an area where an agreement could potentially be reached.
Singapore's Lianhe Zaobao reported that while both countries are advancing negotiations in the areas of AI, investment, and trade, the US and China are engaging in a tug-of-war over a proposal where the US offers a longer trade truce in exchange for pressuring China to drop its "rare earth card."
The issues of Taiwan and Iran are projected to be major geopolitical issues at this summit.
Reuters reported, citing sources, that President Xi is expected to demand that the US halt arms sales to Taiwan based on the 1982 US-China August 17 Communique, while the AP noted that the US strategy of isolating Iran runs counter to China's position asserting trade rights.
Another point of interest is whether opinions will be exchanged regarding China's role in facilitating "North Korea-US dialogue."
However, former high-ranking US officials have previously predicted that given the lack of strategic alignment between the US and China over North Korean denuclearization, the likelihood of a concrete new agreement concerning the North Korean issue coming out of this summit is slim.
Considering that President Xi's trip is his first state visit in 11 years, the US side is preparing the highest level of protocol.
President Trump is scheduled to personally go out to Joint Base Andrews near Washington on the afternoon of September 23 local time to greet President Xi.
It is an unusual diplomatic protocol for a US president to personally welcome a foreign leader at the airport.
On the following day, September 24, an official White House welcoming ceremony and military review will be held, followed by a summit, and a White House state dinner for President Xi and his spouse will take place that same evening.
On the final day of the visit, the morning of September 25, they are scheduled to have a tea chat at the White House and jointly visit the US National Archives and Records Administration.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry previously stated that during this visit, the leaders of the two countries will exchange in-depth views on major issues concerning US-China relations and world peace and development.
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