Xi Jinping arrives in Washington as China confronts US as a "near-peer" power
Xi's first Washington state visit since 2015 comes with Beijing far more assertive on tariffs, minerals, cyber and Taiwan.
What to know
- Xi Jinping's Washington trip is his first state visit there in over a decade, following a 2015 visit under Obama.
- Analysts say China has moved from a 'rising' power to a 'near-peer' with the capability and will to counter the US, shown by matching Trump's 125% tariffs and leveraging critical-mineral dominance.
- Disputes unresolved since 2015 — market access, IP protection, cyberattacks, South China Sea tensions — have worsened rather than been settled.
- Xi is expected to press Trump to delay Taiwan arms sales, after warning in May of 'clashes and even conflicts' if the island is mishandled; Trump plans to greet Xi personally at Joint Base Andrews, breaking normal protocol.
“welcomes the rise of a China that is peaceful, stable, prosperous and a responsible player in global affairs”
Barack Obama, Former US President · Independent UK ↗ · Aug 31
Xi Jinping President of China
Donald Trump US PresidentSun Yun Director, China program, Stimson CenterMira Rapp-Hooper Visiting fellow, Brookings Institution
Barack Obama Former US President (2015 host)
How it unfolded 1 development · click the chart to see its coverage articlesposts
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Xi arrives in Washington; Trump to greet him at Joint Base Andrews — Xi returns to Washington for the first state visit in over a decade; Trump plans to welcome him on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews Wednesday evening, breaking from typical protocol, as the two discuss AI, space and global influence alongside a possible push by Xi to delay Taiwan arms sales.
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Analysts call China a "near-peer" ahead of Xi's Washington trip
Think-tank experts assess that Beijing has gained both the capability and the will to check US power, a marked change from its position a decade earlier.
“In the past, China was disadvantaged in terms of strength, and it was not an equal to the U.S. But now it is considered a near-peer.”
— Sun Yun, Stimson Center -
first by Orlando Sentinel, 9h ago · also Baltimore Sun, Mercury News, Philadelphia Inquirer, Independent UK, Associated Press
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Xi warns Trump of "clashes and even conflicts" over Taiwan — Hosting Trump in Beijing, Xi warned of potential "clashes and even conflicts" if the US mishandles Taiwan, a sharp contrast to his silence on the island during his 2015 Rose Garden remarks.
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China matches Trump's 125% tariffs and squeezes critical minerals — Beijing matched Trump's steep tariffs and leveraged its near-monopoly on processing critical minerals used in smartphones and fighter jets, forcing Washington to back down and nearly freezing trade.
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Xi makes first Washington state visit, Obama welcomes China's rise — Xi Jinping visited Washington seeking to calm American unease about China's rapid ascent; Obama declared the US "welcomes the rise of a China that is peaceful, stable, prosperous and a responsible player in global affairs."