Washington: Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Washington on Wednesday for his first White House visit in over a decade, greeted personally by President Donald Trump at Joint Base Andrews. The state visit, centred on trade, Taiwan and artificial intelligence, comes just four months after Trump's own trip to China in May.

The most pressing question - whether to extend the fragile trade truce set to expire in November - appears largely settled ahead of the formal talks. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the U.S. and China have agreed to extend the trade truce through January. Still, China's suspension of sweeping rare-earth export controls is due to expire on November 10, giving Beijing significant leverage as both sides negotiate the broader extension.

Taiwan looms large over the summit as well. A $14 billion U.S. arms package for Taiwan awaits final approval, and Xi is expected to press Trump on abandoning the sale, though Washington's allies in Asia are watching closely for any sign that Trump might shift his stance on the self-governing island. Analysts note Trump arrives in a weaker negotiating position than at their last meeting, grappling with inflation, falling approval ratings, an unpopular war with Iran and a difficult midterm election ahead for his party.

Beyond trade and Taiwan, discussions are also expected to touch on the wars in Iran and Ukraine, as well as tensions on the Korean peninsula. With China projected to dominate rare-earth supply chains until at least 2030, experts say Beijing's leverage over Washington will likely persist well beyond this week's talks.

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