Donald Trump confirmed that he will receive Xi Jinping at the White House later this year

The President of the United States, Donald Trump, confirmed this Sunday that the Chinese leader, Xi Jinping, will visit the White House at the end of this year and announced that, before that meeting, he himself plans to travel to China in April, amid efforts by both powers to stabilize a relationship deteriorated by the trade dispute. “He is going to come to the White House, yes, towards the end of the year,” Trump affirmed in a television interview. The president also emphasized that the United States and China are “the two most powerful countries in the world” and that they maintain “a very good relationship.” The statements came a few days after a conversation between Trump and Xi, in which both leaders addressed a broad agenda that included bilateral trade, the situation in Taiwan, Russia's war against Ukraine, and Iran's role on the international stage. In that same contact, according to the US president himself, they also discussed his upcoming trip to China. We recommend reading: Trump maintained that the exchange with his Chinese counterpart is regular and is focused, above all, on economic matters. One of the central axes of that dialogue remains the conflict over tariffs. The US president defended his trade policy against China and assured that the Asian country now faces a level of taxation that did not exist before his current term. “China pays many tariffs. They didn't used to. I'm the one who imposed tariffs on China. (…) Our country has recovered hundreds of billions of dollars in tariffs”, Trump said. The announcement of Xi's visit to Washington comes in a context of diplomatic contacts aimed at rebuilding a bilateral relationship that has been strained by economic rivalry, technological competition, and disagreements on regional security. Despite measures taken by the United States to reduce its dependence on Chinese manufacturing, both economies remain closely interconnected in trade, investment, and supply chains. From the Chinese side, Xi also left messages addressed to the White House after the recent conversation with Trump. The Asian leader asked for caution on one of the most sensitive issues on the bilateral agenda: the Taiwan issue. In particular, he warned about the need to act with "caution" in relation to the sale of US weapons to the island, a territory that governs itself autonomously, but which Beijing considers part of its sovereignty. Xi also expressed his expectation that disagreements between both powers could be managed without escalating the conflict. "By addressing differences one by one and continuously fostering mutual trust, we can forge a suitable path for both countries to get along", stated the Chinese leader. After that contact, Trump again highlighted the tone of the exchange with Beijing and described the relationship with China as "extremely good". Trump's next visit to China, scheduled for April, and Xi's subsequent trip to Washington point to a diplomatic sequence aimed at consolidating that direct channel between the two leaders. Both meetings will take place while fundamental differences persist on international trade, the strategic balance in the Asia-Pacific, and security policy regarding Taiwan.

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In parallel, the United States has proposed a new strategic dialogue front with the major powers. On Friday, Washington proposed the holding of trilateral talks with Russia and China with the aim of establishing new limits on nuclear weapons. However, Beijing has so far refused to join that process at this stage. Xi Jinping's last visit to the United States took place in 2023. The agenda for this new meeting will include trade, technology, and global security issues, in a context of strategic rivalry and economic competition. Both governments have confirmed their intention to hold multiple meetings during 2026, marking a stage of intensive dialogue between Washington and Beijing.