Xi leaves Beijing for US state visit, summit with Trump

BEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping left Beijing on Wednesday for a three-day state visit to the United States, where he is scheduled to hold summit talks with US President Donald Trump.Xi is traveling with his wife, Peng Liyuan, and a delegation of senior Chinese officials, according to state media.The delegation includes Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of its General Office, as well as Foreign Minister Wang Yi.Trump is expected to personally greet Xi at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington upon his arrival Wednesday, an unusual protocol gesture for a visiting foreign leader.Trump and first lady Melania Trump are scheduled to formally welcome Xi and Peng at the White House on Thursday, with a state arrival ceremony preceding talks between the two presidents. A state dinner is also scheduled for Thursday evening.The visit, which runs through Friday, marks Xi’s first state visit to the United States since 2015. He has visited the country since then for other meetings, including talks with then-President Joe Biden in California in 2023.Xi and Trump are expected to discuss bilateral relations and a range of economic and strategic issues, with trade, artificial intelligence, rare earths and Taiwan among the issues expected to feature in their talks.The summit follows Trump’s state visit to China in May, when the two leaders held talks on trade, investment and broader bilateral relations. Beijing has described the exchange of visits within six months as having “historic significance.”BEIJING — Chinese President Xi Jinping left Beijing on Wednesday for a three-day state visit to the United States, where he is scheduled to hold summit talks with US President Donald Trump.Xi is traveling with his wife, Peng Liyuan, and a delegation of senior Chinese officials, according to state media.The delegation includes Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of its General Office, as well as Foreign Minister Wang Yi.Trump is expected to personally greet Xi at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington upon his arrival Wednesday, an unusual protocol gesture for a visiting foreign leader.Trump and first lady Melania Trump are scheduled to formally welcome Xi and Peng at the White House on Thursday, with a state arrival ceremony preceding talks between the two presidents. A state dinner is also scheduled for Thursday evening.The visit, which runs through Friday, marks Xi’s first state visit to the United States since 2015. He has visited the country since then for other meetings, including talks with then-President Joe Biden in California in 2023.Xi and Trump are expected to discuss bilateral relations and a range of economic and strategic issues, with trade, artificial intelligence, rare earths and Taiwan among the issues expected to feature in their talks.The summit follows Trump’s state visit to China in May, when the two leaders held talks on trade, investment and broader bilateral relations. Beijing has described the exchange of visits within six months as having “historic significance.”