Xi Arrives in Washington Without His CEO Entourage as Trump Rolls Out the Red Carpet

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A Rare Welcome on the Tarmac

President Trump will greet Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, personally at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. That is unusual: leaders are normally received at the White House. The White House also plans a ceremony with military flyovers and a visit to the National Archives, where America's founding documents are kept.

The state visit is meant to return the hospitality Trump received in Beijing in May. Melania Trump said her husband wanted to welcome the Chinese couple with full respect on American soil.

The pomp is carefully staged. Instead of a joint press conference, both governments are expected to release separate statements, each written for its own domestic audience.

No Business Delegation After All

Last week, Reuters reported that Beijing was assembling a group of executives to travel with Xi. Names under discussion included EV maker BYD, battery maker CATL, and phone and EV company Xiaomi. Some of these firms face scrutiny in the United States.

Now two people familiar with the matter say the group will not come. Their explanations differ. One says the White House had other priorities. The other says US officials did not want companies they believe are tied to China's military at the table. Neither source was named, and neither the White House nor Beijing has explained the change. A Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said only that he had no information.

The background matters. The Pentagon has placed CATL and BYD on a list of companies with alleged military links. Washington also charges a 100 percent tariff on Chinese electric vehicles, and US carmakers have urged Trump not to open the market further.

Several US tech executives are still expected at Thursday's state dinner. Reports name Nvidia's Jensen Huang, Apple's Tim Cook, OpenAI's Sam Altman and SpaceX's Elon Musk.

What Is on the Table

Trade tops the list. The 11-month tariff truce between the two countries runs out in November, and the sides disagree on many points. Talks on Thursday could still produce narrow deals, such as lower tariffs in specific sectors and cooperation against drug trafficking. Both sides may also agree to expand military-to-military contacts and to talk more about artificial intelligence.

Rare earths, the minerals used in magnets and electronics, remain China's strongest card. Beijing controls most of the world's processing of these materials. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer has rated China's export performance as merely adequate, and Chinese magnet shipments to the US fell again in August, according to Foreign Policy.

Trump is also expected to ask for the release of Americans and others detained in China. At the same time, he is expected to keep US export controls on advanced technology in place, despite Chinese objections.

Taiwan: The Question Washington Would Rather Avoid

Xi is expected to press hard on Taiwan, the self-governing island Beijing claims as its own territory. He is likely to ask Trump to reduce arms sales to Taipei, as he did at their last meeting.

The stakes are concrete. In December, the Trump administration approved an $11 billion arms package for Taiwan, the largest ever. A second package worth about $14 billion has been on hold for months. Trump has described such sales as a strong bargaining chip.

Opinions differ on what the delay means. Some analysts see a deliberate negotiating tactic. Others worry that Trump is offering too much ahead of the November midterm elections. The South China Morning Post reported that China hawks in Washington pushed back against an even longer postponement.

Two Leaders, Two Sets of Pressures

Both men arrive with problems at home. Trump faces falling approval ratings as the war with Iran, now in its seventh month, has pushed up energy prices. His Republican Party faces a hard test in the congressional elections.

Xi presides over strong exports, but also weak household spending and a property slump. His sweeping purges in the military have strengthened his personal grip on power. They have also raised questions about how ready the People's Liberation Army really is.

Edgard Kagan, a former White House official now at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, describes the two mindsets. Trump believes America will grow stronger over time. Xi, Kagan says, believes the US is in decline and that time is on China's side.

Background: A Truce with a Deadline

Since their first meeting in Busan, South Korea, in October 2025, the two governments have relied on temporary arrangements rather than lasting settlements. Trump imposed triple-digit tariffs on Chinese goods last year and has since softened both policy and tone. One exception came in July, when he repeated accusations, which China denies, that Beijing interferes in US elections.

Iran is another test. Beijing is Tehran's largest trading partner and could use its influence, but it is unclear whether it will. Trump has said he sees no need to ask for China's help.

What Comes Next

The leaders may meet again this year, possibly at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in China in November or at the G20 meeting in the United States in December. Until then, the November truce deadline, the pending Taiwan arms package and the rare-earth supply will decide whether Wednesday's smiles turn into lasting agreements.

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Sources

1. Reuters – "China's Xi to visit Washington without CEO delegation, sources say" (Sept 23, 2026): https://www.reuters.com/world/us/chinas-xi-visit-washington-without-ceo-delegation-sources-say-2026-09-23/
2. Reuters – "Trump plans grand spectacle for potentially tense Xi talks" (Sept 23, 2026): https://www.reuters.com/world/china/trump-plans-grand-spectacle-potentially-tense-xi-talks-2026-09-23/
3. Reuters – "BYD, CATL, Xiaomi executives may join Xi's US visit, sources say" (Sept 18, 2026): https://www.reuters.com/business/autos-transportation/byd-catl-xiaomi-executives-may-join-xis-us-visit-sources-say-2026-09-18/
4. Associated Press (via The Washington Times) – "China's Xi kicks off state visit to Washington on Wednesday with a rare planeside welcome from Trump" (Sept 23, 2026): https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/23/chinas-xi-kicking-state-visit-washington-wednesday-rare-planeside/
5. Foreign Policy – "Trump-Xi Summit Underscores China's Rare-Earth Trade Leverage" (Sept 22, 2026): https://foreignpolicy.com/2026/09/22/china-rare-earth-xi-trump-meeting-summit/
6. South China Morning Post (via The Korea Times) – "Shadow of Xi summit hangs over Trump's high-stakes talks with Japan's Takaichi" (Sept 22, 2026): https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/world/20260922/shadow-of-xi-summit-hangs-over-trumps-high-stakes-talks-with-japans-takaichi
7. Seoul Economic Daily – "Trump Softens Toward Xi With Tariff, Taiwan Arms Delays" (Sept 19, 2026): https://en.sedaily.com/international/2026/09/19/trump-softens-toward-xi-with-tariff-taiwan-arms-delays

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