President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are scheduled to visit the National Archives on Friday, September 25, 2026, to conclude Xi’s first state visit to the U.S. in more than a decade. The visit to the archives follows a three-day summit in Washington, D.C., where the two leaders discussed trade, the war in Iran, and the development of artificial intelligence. The Friday schedule also includes a morning tea at the White House with first lady Melania Trump and Xi’s wife, Peng Liyuan.
The two heads of state held a private meeting in the Oval Office on Thursday, September 24. According to a Chinese government readout, the discussion covered the Korean Peninsula, Ukraine, and the Middle East. President Trump described the meeting as "very productive" in a social media post and noted that both leaders discussed the risks and terminology of artificial intelligence. Trump reported that he and others at a state dinner preferred the term "super intelligence" over artificial intelligence.
On Thursday evening, the president hosted a state dinner for Xi attended by roughly 145 guests, including technology executives such as Elon Musk, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. During the event, Trump presented Xi with a three-foot-tall bald eagle sculpture and invited guests to view the ongoing construction of a new White House ballroom, which he stated was approximately one year from completion. Outside the executive grounds, demonstrators conducted protests regarding China's policies in Tibet, Hong Kong, Xinjiang, and Taiwan.
Additionally, the summit has implications for federal defense policy and international trade. China has requested that the U.S. cancel a $14 billion arms sale to Taiwan, a territory China claims as its own. President Trump previously delayed this transaction following a May summit, characterizing the sale as a "negotiating chip" with Beijing. The status of this sale affects U.S. defense contractors and the geopolitical security of self-governed Taiwan, where residents face ongoing military threats from the Chinese government.
The diplomatic engagement also carries significance for international energy markets and U.S. allies. During the summit, French President Emmanuel Macron criticized a proposed U.S. diesel export ban, stating it would damage global economies. European nations have relied on U.S. diesel since the 2022 invasion of Ukraine and the start of the Iran war in February 2026. While the summit produced no major breakthroughs on these trade or security issues, the continued dialogue sets the stage for future negotiations on the $14 billion Taiwan arms deal and potential AI regulations. Xi is expected to depart Washington following the National Archives tour on Friday.