Trump, Xi Jinping meet at White House after Sino-US trade truce extended
Quick Look
- Donald Trump and Xi Jinping met at the White House on Thursday after the United States and China announced the extension of their trade truce until January 10.
- This meeting, marked by an unusual protocol reception at Andrews Airport, takes place in a context of economic relaxation between the two superpowers, following the end of the tariff escalation in October 2025.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
In October 2025, the United States and China decided to end an escalation of tariffs and restrictive trade measures that had shaken the global economy. This initial truce was to end on November 10 but was extended until January 10 to allow for more negotiations.
Donald Trump and Xi Jinping will meet at the White House on Thursday, for the announced highlight of a visit which has already achieved its main goal. The two countries have in fact decided to extend their trade truce until January 10, announced American Finance Minister Scott Bessent.
“We agreed (Wednesday) to extend (...) the economic detente between our two countries which was to end on November 10 (...) in order to give us more time to see what we can do on the economic level,” he declared on the Fox News channel.
The two superpowers decided in October 2025 to put an end to an escalation of customs duties and restrictive trade measures, which had shaken the entire world economy.
An American president almost never travels to welcome a foreign leader at the airport. But Donald Trump did it on Wednesday for China's Xi Jinping, while Washington announced at the same time an extension of the trade truce with Beijing.
The Air China plane landed around 9:40 p.m. GMT (11:40 p.m. in Paris) at Andrews Air Force Base, near Washington, where soldiers in full uniform and fighter jets had been lined up in honor of the three-day visit.
The US president, accompanied by Melania Trump, shook hands with his counterpart, who is traveling with his wife Peng Liyuan, before the two couples returned to the red carpet to take part in a brief arrival ceremony including a fighter jet flyby. Everyone then went their separate ways. Typically, foreign heads of state are greeted on the tarmac by lower-ranking officials and only meet the US president upon their arrival at the White House.
But Donald Trump is shaking up protocol for a head of state with whom he claims to have particular affinities, whereas Xi Jinping approaches their relationship with more pragmatism, according to Judith Shapiro, a China specialist at American University. The Chinese president “considers that the rise of China as well as the decline of the United States is inevitable,” and that therefore the bilateral relationship must be “managed with the greatest sensitivity” to avoid open confrontation, she said.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Sino-US trade negotiations will continue beyond January 10 with a new level of discussions
Likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- What are the specific terms of the extension of the trade truce?
- Will this meeting lead to substantial agreements beyond a simple extension?
- How will the allies of the United States and China react to this tactical rapprochement?
