Xi Jinping Arrives in Washington Amid Fragile Trade Truce

Chinese President Xi Jinping is set to visit Washington from September 23 to 25, marking his first trip to the US in over a decade. The visit comes at a delicate moment as a trade truce established in October 2025 is set to expire on November 30.

The two sides remain far apart on how long any extension should last, with the US proposing a six-month rollover and China pushing for a longer period.

Preparatory negotiations have focused on relatively manageable topics such as AI safety frameworks and trade in non-sensitive goods, but harder issues like tariffs, technology export controls, Taiwan, and Iran remain unresolved.

The truce itself was always more of a ceasefire than a peace treaty, pausing the escalatory tariff cycle that had rattled global supply chains and spooked equity markets.