China This Week | With Xi set for US state visit, the 2 items on top of the agenda

Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to visit Washington, D.C. on September 23, 2025, for a state visit to the United States. US President Donald Trump, in a rare gesture, will personally greet Xi at Joint Base Andrews military base in Washington. The visit is significant as it marks the 10-year anniversary since Xi's last state visit to the US and comes amidst ongoing wars, trade conflicts, and technological advancements.

As Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng leads a delegation to the US for economic and trade consultations alongside US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent from September 19 to 23, two main areas of concern dominate the agenda. These are tariffs and trade, as well as artificial intelligence (AI).

In the realm of tariffs and trade, China has long been embroiled in a tit-for-tat tariff war with the US, which began in 2025. Throughout the conflict, both leaders were involved in negotiations. In 2025, despite allegations of transhipment and China's dominance in rare earth minerals, China was considered the winner due to its strategic control of these minerals.

The two nations have since reached an agreement for a pause in escalating tariffs until November 2026, contingent on China easing export controls on critical minerals. However, the US Supreme Court recently struck down Trump's tariffs, and the administration is exploring alternative means to impose levies on countries, including China.

Moving on to AI, the rapid advancements in the field have created intense debate between the US and China. Tech leaders from major companies such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Nvidia, Tesla, and Google are set to meet with President Trump and President Xi during their visit. While the US has been concerned about China catching up in the AI race, China has maintained strict regulations over its AI models, which are open-weight, allowing developers to modify and adapt them.

At the recent BRICS summit, Xi proposed the establishment of a BRICS open-source AI community, offering support for cooperation among member countries in developing and deploying AI models. Nonetheless, China's governance structure lacks the openness that many other nations seek.