Xi Set for White House Visit by End-2026, Trump Signals Reset With China Amid Trade Tensions
US President Donald Trump has said that Chinese President Xi Jinping is expected to visit the White House toward the end of 2026, signaling a potential thaw in relations between the world’s two largest economies after years of trade friction.
Trump made the remarks during an interview with NBC News, recorded on Wednesday—the same day he and Xi held a wide-ranging conversation covering trade, Taiwan, Russia’s war in Ukraine, and the evolving situation in Iran.
According to Trump, he is also expected to travel to China in April, ahead of Xi’s anticipated visit to Washington later in the year.
“He’s coming to the White House, yeah—toward the end of the year,” Trump said, adding that despite tensions, the relationship remains strong. “These are the two most powerful countries in the world and we have a very good relationship.”
Since returning to the White House a year ago, Trump has aggressively used tariffs as a policy tool, rolling out sector-specific duties on steel, automobiles, and other goods, alongside broader trade measures. While Washington and Beijing have sparred repeatedly over trade, both sides reached a broad truce following a major escalation last spring.
Even as the United States works to reduce its reliance on Chinese manufacturing, economic ties between the two nations remain deeply interconnected, underscoring the high stakes of any diplomatic reset.
Xi, who last visited the United States in 2023, used the recent call to urge caution on US arms sales to self-ruled Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory. He also expressed hope that bilateral challenges—especially trade—could be resolved through dialogue.
“By tackling issues one by one and continuously building mutual trust, we can forge a right way for the two countries to get along,” Xi said, according to China’s state broadcaster CCTV.
Trump described the conversation as “excellent,” emphasizing that both leaders understand the importance of maintaining stable relations.
Separately, the United States on Friday called for trilateral talks with Russia and China to establish new limits on nuclear weapons. Beijing, however, has so far declined to participate in such negotiations “at this stage,” according to US officials. — AFP