Xi Jinping Plans First U.S. State Visit in 11 Years

China's ambassador to the United States, Xie Feng. In September 2026. The visit, the first by the Chinese leader in eleven years, comes at the invitation of President Donald Trump and could mark a milestone in bilateral relations.

Context of strained relations and prior diplomatic engagement

The planned summit occurs against a backdrop of heightened trade tensions since Trump began his second term. Earlier in the year, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent negotiated a temporary truce with Chinese officials. This agreement included a pause on new tariffs and supply chain restrictions, providing a measure of stability to the economic relationship through January.

Former U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns noted this would be the second meeting between Trump and Xi that year, with perhaps two more expected before year's end. He described the U.S.-China relationship as the most difficult in the world. While the meeting itself is significant, Burns pointed out that substantive disputes were left unaddressed in prior talks. These include China's support for Russia in Ukraine, its backing of Iran, cyberattacks on American infrastructure, the intimidation of U.S. Treaty allies like Japan and the Philippines, and human rights issues such as the life sentence for media publisher Jimmy Lai. Burns stated Trump did not appear to be pushing Xi on these critical matters.

Burns critiques Trump's approach and emphasizes alliance strategy

Nicholas Burns, who served as ambassador from 2021 to 2025 and is now an international relations scholar at Harvard, criticized President Trump's diplomatic style. He argued the over-the-top flattery shown to Xi, with red carpets and marching bands, was misplaced. Burns characterized Xi as highly intelligent, cynical about the United States, and leading a government intent on overtaking American power.

He contrasted this approach with Trump's treatment of allies, noting the president is extraordinarily critical of figures like Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney while remaining publicly uncritical of adversaries like Xi, Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un. Burns suggested a state visit for an ally, such as Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, would have been a more strategic choice. He argued the U.S. Is stronger when working with partners like Japan, South Korea, European NATO allies, and Canada to counter China's competitive ambitions.

China's vision for stable, constructive relations despite differences

Ambassador Xie Feng presented Beijing's perspective, arguing that China-U.S. Relations have weathered significant challenges over the past decade. He stated that decoupling is impossible and confrontation is unacceptable, especially given growing international instability. Xie credited Xi Jinping with charting a new course, referencing a meeting in May that established a new positioning for a constructive, strategic, and stable relationship.

He urged both sides to implement leader-level agreements and make greater use of existing diplomatic and economic mechanisms. Xie called for expanded exchanges in numerous areas:

Xie Feng acknowledged competition is inevitable but said it should remain constructive, with both sides pursuing prosperity in tandem. He identified artificial intelligence as a key area where competition should focus on innovation, safety, and improving global governance for the benefit of humanity. The ambassador urged differences to be managed in good faith and called on the United States to stop using national security, economic imbalances, and forced labor as pretexts for containing China.

He stressed the need to avoid direct confrontation and overcome the so-called Thucydides Trap. Xie identified four fundamental issues as inviolable for Beijing: Taiwan, democracy and human rights, China's political system and development path, and its right to development. China remains committed to peaceful development and hopes the U.S. Will engage on the same basis. The upcoming visit tests whether renewed high-level engagement can contribute to a more stable China-U.S. Relationship.