Summary

  • Donald Trump and First Lady Melania have welcomed Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan to the White House for a state dinner - our reporter takes you through it

  • In a speech at the dinner, Xi called for a "new approach" for China and the US to act as responsible global powers in a changing world

  • Meanwhile, Trump gifted Xi a statue of a bald eagle and said the pair have "never gotten along better" - other key moments

  • Who was on the invite list? Big tech bosses including Tesla's Elon Musk, Apple's Tim Cook, OpenAI's Sam Altman and Nvidia's Jensen Huang attended

  • Earlier on Thursday, welcoming China leader's to the White House, Trump said he and Xi had made "tremendous strides on the issues facing our two countries"

  • Xi did not get everything he wanted in a high-stakes visit to the US, writes China correspondent Laura Bicker

Live Reporting

Edited by Yvette Tan, with Bernd Debusmann Jr and Ione Wells reporting from Washington DC and Laura Bicker in Beijing

  1. A presidential greeting, dinner and an archive tour: How the visit will unfold

    Chinese leader Xi Jinping's visit will take place over three days, and the White House is rolling out the red carpet.

    Here's how things are set to unfold:

    Wednesday

    • Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan arrive at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland where US President Donald Trump will greet them

    Thursday

    • Trump and First Lady Melania Trump host Xi and Peng at the White House
    • An arrival ceremony will be followed by a military inspection in the White House's Rose Garden
    • Bilateral meeting between Trump and Xi
    • State dinner attended by US and Chinese officials as well as tech leaders. Trump and Xi will both speak

    Friday

    • Xi and Peng attend private tea at the White House with the Trumps
    • The couples tour the National Archives, where the US's founding documents, like the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, are preserved
    • Xi and Peng will then depart from Joint Base Andrews

  2. Trump to welcome Xi Jinping for historic state visit

    US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping react as they hold a bilateral meetingReuters

    US President Donald Trump will host Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Washington on Wednesday as he arrives for a three-day visit to the American capital.

    Xi will be greeted personally by Trump at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland later today, kickstarting a whirlwind 72 hours full of pomp and pageantry, that includes lavish dinners, private tours and performances.

    It marks Xi's first trip to the US in over a decade and his third meeting with Trump since the US president began his second term in office.

    Everything from AI to trade and Taiwan will be on the agenda in what is expected to be a high-stakes state visit for the leaders of the global superpowers.

    It comes as a trade deal agreed between the two is set to expire in November. US negotiators are expected to continue talks with Chinese counterparts in Washington on Wednesday after Xi's arrival.

    Stick with us as we bring you the latest updates and analysis throughout the day.