Bessent says Xi’s US visit should be very positive
Crhk · 3 SOURCESabout 1 hour ago2 MIN
Summary
Chinese President Xi Jinping is due to begin a three-day state visit to the United States on Wednesday at the invitation of US President Donald Trump, with arrival, White House ceremonies, talks and a state dinner all scheduled in Washington and nearby Maryland. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he believed the trip would be “a very good visit” and said one focus would be the temporary US-China trade truce that is nearing expiry. Chinese state media, meanwhile, framed the visit as a chance to keep bilateral ties on the “right course”, while mainland scholars said any accompanying Chinese business delegation could raise the prospect of concrete commercial deals.
Key Points
- Trump is scheduled to greet Xi and Peng Liyuan at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Wednesday as the three-day state visit begins
- On Thursday morning, Xi will visit the White House for ceremonies on the South Lawn, in the State Dining Room and the Rose Garden
- The welcome programme will include 479 service members, a Marine band performance of both national anthems, leaders’ speeches, a troop review and a flypast by one B-2 bomber and four F-22 fighters
- Xi and Trump will then hold bilateral talks, while Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan are due to visit the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Asian Art before a state dinner at the White House East Room
- On Friday, the two couples will have tea in the Red Room and visit the US National Archives to view documents of historical significance to US-China relations before the Trumps see Xi off there
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the visit matters because the sources point to trade and technology as central themes, areas that can shape regional business sentiment and cross-border commercial expectations. The emphasis from both official and academic voices on strategic stability and leader-level engagement also suggests both sides want to reduce uncertainty in the relationship, at least in the near term.