Xi travels to Washington to meet President Trump
Xi departed Beijing on Sept. 23 for talks officials say will focus on trade and governance of increasingly capable artificial intelligence.
Mateo Fernandez ·
Chinese leader Xi Jinping left Beijing on Wednesday to meet President Trump in Washington, officials said; talks will focus on trade and risks from advanced artificial intelligence.
AI and trade agenda
Officials said Xi departed on Sept. 23, 2026, for high-level meetings that both sides have framed as an opportunity to ease bilateral trade frictions and discuss rules for rapidly advancing AI systems. The itinerary and timing of bilateral sessions were not disclosed beyond the departure, officials added.
The talks come as technology
firms, regulators and governments worldwide debate safety standards and export controls for AI capabilities.
If the two leaders outline a cooperative framework for AI governance, that could reduce the risk of divergent national rules and lower policy uncertainty for global tech supply chains; if no agreement emerges, companies may face a patchwork of controls that complicates investment decisions.
Beyond technology, any effort to roll back tariffs or announce new trade mechanisms would directly affect supply chains and corporate planning across sectors from semiconductors to industrials. Officials cautioned that concrete outcomes depend on negotiators' progress during the meetings.
Market participants will watch for a joint statement by September 25, 2026, which could provide the first clear signals on whether the talks produced coordinated steps on trade policy or AI governance.