Chinese President Xi Jinping left Beijing on September 23 for a three-day state visit to the United States. China’s Foreign Ministry said Xi departed aboard a special aircraft and was accompanied by his wife Peng Liyuan, senior Communist Party official Cai Qi, Foreign Minister Wang Yi and other officials.
The visit runs from September 23 to 25 at the invitation of U.S. President Donald Trump. According to the White House schedule, Trump is due to greet Xi and Peng at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday. A formal state arrival ceremony, bilateral meetings and a state dinner are scheduled for Thursday.
Trade, tariffs, artificial intelligence, advanced technology, Taiwan and broader geopolitical issues have been among the major areas of tension between Washington and Beijing. China’s Foreign Ministry has said the two leaders are expected to exchange views on major issues in bilateral relations as well as international peace and development.
The visit is Xi’s first state visit to the United States in more than a decade. At the time of publication, the strongest official sources reviewed confirmed his departure from Beijing and the planned U.S. welcome, but did not yet confirm that he had landed in the United States.