Trump and Xi hold bilateral talks in Washington covering trade, AI, Taiwan, Ukraine, Iran and cultural diplomacy

Mark Hallam | Felix Tamsut with Reuters, AFP, AP, dpa

Published 09/24/2026Published September 24, 2026

The presidents of the world's two largest economies are in Washington for what Donald Trump has billed a "big day." Bilateral trade, AI and geopolitics are all on the menu. Follow DW for the latest.

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Skip next section What you need to know

What you need to know

Donald Trump welcomed his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, to the White House

This is Xi's first state visit to the US in a decade

Trade, AI, Taiwan, Ukraine and Iran are key issues to be discussed

Follow along here for live updates on Xi's state visit to the US:

Skip next section Melania Trump, Madame Peng head to Asian art museum

09/24/2026September 24, 2026

Melania Trump, Madame Peng head to Asian art museum

First Lady Melania Trump and Xi's wife Peng Liyuan left their husbands behind to tour one of the largest Asian art museums in the US.

The visit to the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art in Washington was supposed to celebrate cultural ties between the US and China.

Both wives are known for their focus on soft power and cultural issues, one is a former fashion model and the other a soprano.

A choir of young school children from the Hope Chinese School sang to the duo as they toured the building, singing famous Chinese folk songs including "Song and Smile" and "Jasmine Flower."

It's the first public meeting between the two spouses in nearly a decade, since a 2017 encounter in Beijing. A crowd had gathered on the sidewalk across from the museum, some waving Chinese and American flags.

https://p.dw.com/p/5NEY8

Skip next section Trump says the pair had a 'great meeting,' takes Xi inside presidential helicopter

09/24/2026September 24, 2026

Trump says the pair had a 'great meeting,' takes Xi inside presidential helicopter

Trump's first comments to reporters after the talks were brief in the extreme.

In response to shouted questions as he took Xi to board the Marine One presidential helicopter for a brief tour, he told reporters, "We had a great meeting."

Images from the meeting showed that Chinese Vice Premier Hi Lifeng and Foreign Minister Wang Yi attended at least part of the talks, as did US Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

Xi left the White House after the meeting, but will be back later for the state dinner.

https://p.dw.com/p/5NETC

Skip next section Xi tells Trump China's position on Taiwan and territory is 'crystal clear'

09/24/2026September 24, 2026

Xi tells Trump China's position on Taiwan and territory is 'crystal clear'

China's Xinhua news agency is reporting comments it says Xi Jinping relayed to Donald Trump during their talks in the Oval Office.

Xi said he hoped the United States would continue to oppose "Taiwan independence" and handle the question of Taiwan with "prudence," according to Xinhua.

He reportedly told the US president that China's position on safeguarding its national unity and territorial integrity was "crystal clear."

The US holds a complicated position when it comes to Taiwan. On the one hand, it is the small island nation's most important security guarantor. However, it has no formal diplomatic relations with Taiwan and does not recognize it as an independent country as part of its adherence to the so-called "one China" principle Beijing insists upon from all partners.

Xi also reportedly told Trump that China would support the US and Iran returning to negotiations "as soon as possible" as their naval standoff in the Persian Gulf drags well past the six-month mark.

https://p.dw.com/p/5NESy

Skip next section WATCH: How US, China could end the AI race

09/24/2026September 24, 2026

WATCH: How US, China could end the AI race

Fabian von der Mark

As concerns grow over the rapid advance of artificial intelligence, experts are warning that the global race between the United States and China to develop ever more powerful AI systems could outpace safety measures.

DW explores fears over cybersecurity threats, autonomous AI behavior and even bioterrorism, while explaining why both Washington and Beijing see AI as a strategic priority.

With calls mounting for international oversight, what stance will US President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping adopt?

How US, China could end the AI race

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Skip next section CNN, MS NOW, Politico journalists are back at White House

09/24/2026September 24, 2026

CNN, MS NOW, Politico journalists are back at White House

Hours after a federal judge ordered Trump to lift the ban, US news outlets CNN, MS NOW and Politico announced that they had been granted access to the White House.

Trump vs. the press: Who controls the story?

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https://p.dw.com/p/5NEFO

Skip next section Trump and Xi begin talks in Oval Office

09/24/2026September 24, 2026

Trump and Xi begin talks in Oval Office

After delivering their opening remarks and reviewing the military troops in the Rose Garden, Trump and Xi proceeded to the Oval Office for discussions.

Other US and Chinese officials joined them.

https://p.dw.com/p/5NEDu

Skip next section China to send two pandas to Atlanta zoo, Xi says

09/24/2026September 24, 2026

China to send two pandas to Atlanta zoo, Xi says

Speaking at the White House, Xi Jinping announced that a pair of pandas will soon make their home at Zoo Atlanta.

This isn't the first time Chinese pandas have been sent to a U.S. zoo. It's also an example of what's known as "panda diplomacy." Through this program, China lends the animals to select zoos around the world.

Xi also revealed that Beijing plans to invite 100,000 young Americans to visit China for cultural exchange and study over the next five years.

https://p.dw.com/p/5NE6F

Skip next section Xi thanks Trump for 'warm hospitality,' seeks to 'expand cooperation'

09/24/2026September 24, 2026

Xi thanks Trump for 'warm hospitality,' seeks to 'expand cooperation'

China's President Xi Jinping in turn thanked Donald Trump for his "warm hospitality," after the US president last night went to greet the Chinese leader and their wife on the tarmac at the airfeld.

In his opening remarks, as rendered by his interpreter, Xi said he was visiting the US to "carry on our friendship, expand cooperation and promote well-being of both our peoples."

He said that both the US and China were great countries with great people.

"I'm very glad to pay a state visit to your beautiful country, the United States of America," Xi said. "Thank you President Trump and Mrs. Trump for the warm hospitality that you have extended to me and my wife."

https://p.dw.com/p/5NE2w

Skip next section Trump touts 'truly great friendship' with China's Xi, seeks more 'balanced' trade relationship

09/24/2026September 24, 2026

Trump touts 'truly great friendship' with China's Xi, seeks more 'balanced' trade relationship

The US president told reporters he was "proud" of the US-China relationship.

"From the time of my first election in 2016, President Xi and I have forged a friendship, a truly great friendship, actually, built on mutual respect and the vital interests of our people," Trump said.

He said that he and Xi would continue working together for a better future, while also hailing the "tremendous strides" he said had been made on issues facing the two countries.

Trump said that security, technology and artificial intelligence were likely to feature in Thursday's talks.

He said that US and Chinese officials were working to encourage a "more balanced" trading relationship between the two countries, including new market access for American farmers and ranchers.

Famously, Donald Trump tends to define "balance" in trade as not having an import surplus or trade deficit with a trading partner — a goal that can be particularly ambitious, bordering on impossible, when doing business with export giant China.

https://p.dw.com/p/5NE1v

Skip next section Why is AI regulation in such sharp focus amid the visit?

09/24/2026September 24, 2026

Why is AI regulation in such sharp focus amid the visit?

With frozen tariff talks and moving deadlines, continued tensions over Taiwan and the Pacific region more generally, war in Iran, Ukraine, and much of Africa, you'd be forgiven for thinking that questions of hardware, software, bits and bytes would be far from the minds of the world's two most powerful politicians.

However, more and more examples of AI agents bending or breaking the rules they were given — coupled with increasing concern from the very people developing the models — have thrust the issue to the forefront of the public eye.

At the UN General Assembly on Wednesday, various AI executives urged the UN Security Council and international governments to address some of the dangers concerning the technology.

OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman said there was a risk "we could lose control of the future to AI," because of its ability to move at such a rapid pace making human oversight difficult or impossible. He also said the systems could "concentrate too much power in too few hands."

Anthropic's boss Dario Amodei called for global standards for testing new AI models.

Compounding this, early on Thursday, Australia's Prime Minister Antony Albanese said that an Open AI agent had hacked Australia's public health data portal in June. It's the first known instance of AI hacking a government system, which is not necessarily to say it is the first.

OpenAI said in response that its models "took actions we did not intend," in by no means the first case of its kind.

The US and China are seen as the two leading AI-developing nations, and have broadly advocated more of a hands-off approach to regulation than countries with less financial incentive to have tech companies on a long leash.

https://p.dw.com/p/5NDi0

Skip next section Trump, First Lady welcome Xi, Madame Peng at White House

09/24/2026September 24, 2026

Trump, First Lady welcome Xi, Madame Peng at White House

China's President Xi Jinping and his wife have arrived at the White House to begin Thursday's talks.

They were greeted by US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump outside the South Portico of the White House late on Thursday morning.

https://p.dw.com/p/5NDjb

Skip next section Trump, Xi set for talks and a state dinner on Thursday

09/24/2026September 24, 2026

Trump, Xi set for talks and a state dinner on Thursday

Welcome back as police and security staff in Washington gear up for an even higher-profile day than usual on Thursday.

Talks between leaders of the US and China on Thursday are set to culminate in a state dinner at the White House this evening, attended by various tech executives.

US President Donald Trump told his online acolytes that a "big day with President Xi of China" beckoned in his first social media utterance on Thursday.

He said that artificial intelligence or machine learning would "be a big topic of discussion."

But, mirroring his comments at the UN General Assembly on Tuesday, Trump said he wanted to "leave it exactly where it is."

He said that the US' "guardrail" for AI was its own Department of Justice, implying little interest in international or cooperative efforts to guard against any potential risks.

"That is China's position also," Trump asserted, though Xi Jinping is expected to deliver remarks of his own later.

Meanwhile, early morning reports from Washington suggest the White House was yet to react to the overnight court order demanding that it allow reporters from CNN, MSNOW and Politico back into the building, at least temporarily pending closer evalution of the case.

https://p.dw.com/p/5NDJd

Skip next section We're pausing our coverage for now

09/24/2026September 24, 2026

We're pausing our coverage for now

The main summit between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping is scheduled for Thursday.

There's a state dinner as well in the evening, with both leaders expected to deliver speeches.

Top US tech executives are expected to attend the dinner, suggesting that artificial intelligence will be a big topic of discussion.

https://p.dw.com/p/5NAw7

Skip next section Trump wants Hong Kong's Jimmy Lai to be freed from prison — report

09/24/2026September 24, 2026

Trump wants Hong Kong's Jimmy Lai to be freed from prison — report

Chinese President Xi Jinping has arrived in Washington to a rare planeside welcome from his US counterpart, Donald Trump.

As Xi walked down a long red carpet on the airport tarmac, a White House spokesperson said that Trump believes Hong Kongdemocracy advocate Jimmy Lai should be released from prison and "wants to see that happen," the DPA news agency reported.

"The United States urges the authorities to grant Mr. Lai humanitarian parole," DPA quoted the spokesperson as saying.

Lai, a 78-year-old media tycoon, was sentenced to 20 years in prison earlier in the year under the National Security Law that China imposed in 2020 following massive pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong.

At a congressional hearing in Washington last week, Lai's son, Sebastien, repeated his appeal for his father's release.

Trump raised the issue of Lai's release when he met Xi in Beijing in May, but the US leader said the Chinese president told him Lai's case "would be a tough one."

On Tuesday, US outlet Politico reported that British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has asked Trump to discuss the release of Lai, who is a British citizen, with Xi.

https://p.dw.com/p/5NAux

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