Overview
- President Donald Trump said on Sept. 4 that the United States will hold a formal state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sept. 24 in Washington.
- Trump framed the visit as positive, calling Xi “a great gentleman” and saying the two leaders get along and have a strong trading relationship.
- Trump said Xi will be accompanied by his wife and that he asked Xi to stay out of the Iran conflict, adding that China is "not really involved."
- China continues to be the main buyer of Iranian oil and has resisted U.S. calls to cut that trade, a gap that leaves a major strategic disagreement unresolved.
- The visit follows a 2025 tariff war and a trade truce that produced reciprocal leader exchanges in 2026, and the announcements so far come from the White House with no separate Chinese confirmation.