Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Washington on September 23 where he was greeted by President Donald Trump as he exited his airplane at Joint Base Andrews. It was a clear signal of the importance he places on the three-day state visit, Xi’s first to Washington in more than a decade, and the first time since 1962 that a sitting U.S. President greeted a foreign head of state. There was been a pre-meeting between U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng to iron out an agenda for the meeting, but there is little anticipation that the summit will lead to any major policy changes between the two countries.

Xi set the tone in a written message published by China Central Television on his arrival, as translated by a Chinese analyst: “China and the United States should be partners, not rivals,” he wrote. “The great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making America great again can go hand in hand. The two countries are not mutually exclusive, can help each other succeed and advance the well-being of the whole world.” Xi added that “China and the United States, as two major countries, should find a right way to get along in the new era.”

On the same day, Bessent told Fox News that the trade truce struck in Busan last October would be extended from Nov. 10 to Jan. 10. Under the truce, the two sides agreed to scale back tariffs and refrain from new trade restrictions. “I don’t know whether a bigger deal can be done. I don’t know whether we will just roll the current deal,” Bessent said. He noted that the extension gives the leaders more time to talk at upcoming summits in China in November and Florida in December.