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Ongoing story / People's Republic of China

Trump's summits with Xi Jinping, from South Korea and Beijing to Washington

Overview · reviewed November 14, 2026

President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping have met three times in Trump's second term: in Busan, South Korea, in October 2025, where they agreed to ease trade frictions; in Beijing in May 2026, a trip delayed by the war with Iran; and in Washington in September 2026, the first state visit by a Chinese leader in more than a decade.[1][2][3] The Washington summit extended the countries' trade truce to January and set up a dialogue on artificial intelligence, though critics said it produced few concrete results.[4][5][6]

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The Washington summit extended the countries' trade truce to January and set up a dialogue on artificial intelligence, though critics said it produced few concrete results.[4][5][6]

Coverage over time

Share of tracked outlets · weekly (UTC)

Week of 2025-01-13 (UTC): 7%, 17 of 228 tracked outlets (2 left, 8 center, 7 right)Week of 2025-01-20 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-01-27 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-02-03 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-02-10 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-02-17 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-02-24 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-03-03 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-03-10 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-03-17 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-03-24 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-03-31 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-04-07 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-04-14 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-04-21 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-04-28 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-05-05 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-05-12 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-05-19 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-05-26 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-06-02 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-06-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-06-16 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-06-23 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-06-30 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-07-07 (UTC): 4%, 8 of 191 tracked outlets (2 left, 5 center, 1 right)Week of 2025-07-14 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-07-21 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-07-28 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-08-04 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-08-11 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-08-18 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-08-25 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-09-01 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-09-08 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-09-15 (UTC): 3%, 6 of 191 tracked outlets (0 left, 4 center, 2 right)Week of 2025-09-22 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-09-29 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-10-06 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-10-13 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-10-20 (UTC): 7%, 14 of 194 tracked outlets (3 left, 8 center, 3 right)Week of 2025-10-27 (UTC): 24%, 41 of 174 tracked outlets (13 left, 18 center, 10 right)Week of 2025-11-03 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-11-10 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-11-17 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-11-24 (UTC): 17%, 26 of 153 tracked outlets (7 left, 12 center, 7 right)Week of 2025-12-01 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-08 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-15 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-22 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2025-12-29 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-01-05 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-01-12 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-01-19 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-01-26 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-02-02 (UTC): 3%, 6 of 177 tracked outlets (0 left, 4 center, 2 right)Week of 2026-02-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-02-16 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-02-23 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-02 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-09 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-03-16 (UTC): 10%, 18 of 178 tracked outlets (4 left, 7 center, 7 right)Week of 2026-03-23 (UTC): 5%, 8 of 170 tracked outlets (1 left, 4 center, 3 right)Week of 2026-03-30 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-04-06 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-04-13 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-04-20 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-04-27 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-05-04 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-05-11 (UTC): 28%, 49 of 176 tracked outlets (13 left, 26 center, 10 right)Week of 2026-05-18 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-05-25 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-01 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-08 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-15 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-22 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-06-29 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-07-06 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-07-13 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-07-20 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-07-27 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-03 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-10 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-17 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-24 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-08-31 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-07 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-09-14 (UTC): 4%, 21 of 480 tracked outlets (4 left, 11 center, 6 right)Week of 2026-09-21 (UTC): 22%, 104 of 479 tracked outlets (28 left, 50 center, 26 right)Week of 2026-09-28 (UTC): 10%, 46 of 476 tracked outlets (11 left, 25 center, 10 right)Week of 2026-10-05 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-10-12 (UTC): 1%, 3 of 476 tracked outlets (1 left, 1 center, 1 right)Week of 2026-10-19 (UTC): 3%, 14 of 479 tracked outlets (7 left, 4 center, 3 right)Week of 2026-10-26 (UTC): no coverage from tracked outletsWeek of 2026-11-02 (UTC): 1%, 7 of 471 tracked outlets (2 left, 3 center, 2 right)Week of 2026-11-09 (UTC): 7%, 35 of 474 tracked outlets (7 left, 21 center, 7 right), so far

LeftCenterRightLighter bar: this week so far

Each bar is the share of the outlets on our Left / Center / Right rating scale that we tracked publishing that week which carried reporting on this story, split by the outlets' ratings. We track more outlets now than in the archive, so a share keeps earlier and later weeks comparable. An outlet counts once a week however much it published, and outlets in one ownership or syndication group count as one on each side they appear on. A rating describes the outlet, not the report. A gap means no such reports were collected that week, not that nothing was reported anywhere. Weeks run Monday to Sunday in UTC, so a report published on a Sunday evening in US Eastern time counts in the next week. 14 more outlets off the scale (not rated, or outside the left-right graphs) also reported; they are not in this chart. See them.

Weekly counts, outlets and reports (17 weeks with coverage)
Outlets on the rating scale that carried this story each week, of the outlets tracked that week, newest first
Week of (UTC)LeftCenterRightOf trackedShareReceipts
Nov 9, 2026 (so far)721735 of 4747%
Nov 2, 20262327 of 4711%
Oct 19, 202674314 of 4793%
Oct 12, 20261113 of 4761%
Sep 28, 202611251046 of 47610%
Sep 21, 2026285026104 of 47922%
Sep 14, 2026411621 of 4804%
May 11, 202613261049 of 17628%
Mar 23, 20261438 of 1705%
Mar 16, 202647718 of 17810%
Feb 2, 20260426 of 1773%
Nov 24, 2025712726 of 15317%
Oct 27, 202513181041 of 17424%
Oct 20, 202538314 of 1947%
Sep 15, 20250426 of 1913%
Jul 7, 20252518 of 1914%
Jan 13, 202528717 of 2287%

Latest coverage

The newest reporting in this story's record.

  1. Nov 12, 2026 · first reported · Headline from WHDH Boston

    Trump, Xi and Putin plan unprecedented joint meeting on APEC sidelines, White House and Kremlin say

Background

Donald Trump spoke with Xi Jinping by phone days before his second inauguration and told advisers he wanted to visit China.[7][8] In September 2025 he said he would meet Xi at a regional summit in South Korea in October and visit China later.[9] Days before that meeting, the two countries said they had agreed on a framework for a possible trade deal to pull back from their trade war,[10] and the October 30 meeting in Busan, on the sidelines of the summit, appeared to make major strides on frictions between them.[1] In November they spoke by phone about trade, Taiwan and Ukraine, and Trump said he would visit Beijing in April and host Xi later in the year.[11]

Read the full background (2 more paragraphs)

Trump postponed the Beijing trip, planned for the end of March 2026, to focus on the war with Iran,[12] and rescheduled it for May 14 and 15.[2] He played down differences with Xi over the conflict as he flew to Beijing,[13] where he was welcomed with a military honor guard.[14] The talks were expected to cover trade, the Iran war, technology and Taiwan.[15] The US ambassador, David Perdue, later said the US had pressed China to stop aiding Iran.[16]

Xi arrived in Washington in late September 2026 for the first state visit by a Chinese leader in more than a decade.[3][17] As he landed, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the two countries' trade truce would be extended from November to January.[4] Trump hosted a state dinner whose guests included tech billionaires,[18] and Xi announced gifts of two giant pandas and invitations for 100,000 US students.[19] The two agreed to a dialogue on artificial intelligence with a channel to defuse serious incidents.[5] Afterward Perdue said Trump had proposed selling weapons to China,[20] and some commentators said any concrete gains remained unclear.[6][21] In November, Trump said he expected a three-way meeting with Xi and Vladimir Putin at the APEC summit in Shenzhen on November 18 and 19, and China confirmed that discussions were underway.[22] In October Trump had said he was open to a three-way meeting but had not agreed to one,[23] and on November 13 the White House said the three leaders would meet on the sidelines of the summit, the first meeting of the three, with nuclear arms on the agenda.[24]

Supporting stories (24)
  1. Trump and China's Xi are meeting in South Korea to try to roll back months of trade tensions
  2. Trump reschedules Iran-delayed China visit for May 14-15
  3. Trump will be at the airport to greet Xi when China’s leader arrives for his US state visit
  4. U.S. and China Extend Trade Truce
  5. China and the US agree to set up a new AI safety channel, and to keep talking on trade, military
  6. Trump-Xi takeaways: If there were victories, Trump's not sharing them
  7. Trump holds phone talks with China’s President Xi
  8. Trump privately expresses interest in visiting China
  9. Trump says he and Xi will meet in South Korea in coming weeks and he'll later go to China
  10. Trump’s Asia tour takes him to Japan ahead of pivotal meeting with China’s Xi
  11. Trump says he will visit Beijing in April and host China’s Xi for a state visit later next year
  12. Trump postpones his China trip to focus on the war in Iran
  13. Trump departs for Beijing for summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping
  14. Trump China visit live: US president says a lot of problems ‘settled’, as he meets with Xi on final day of summit
  15. Xi tells Trump Taiwan issue could spark conflict at Beijing summit
  16. Trump told Xi that China helping Iran is unacceptable, US ambassador says
  17. Road closures, parking restrictions for Chinese president’s visit in the District
  18. Zuckerberg, Altman, other Big Tech moguls among attendees at Trump-Xi dinner
  19. Xi comes bearing gifts: 2 giant pandas and 100,000 student visas
  20. US officials deny there are plans to sell weapons to China
  21. Triumph or Procrastination? Experts Split on the Trump-Xi Summit
  22. China confirms discussions are underway on a historic Xi-Trump-Putin meeting
  23. Trump Frames Potential Putin-Xi Meeting Around Denuclearization — Leaving Ukraine With No Seat at the Table
  24. Trump, Xi and Putin plan an unprecedented meeting on the sidelines of APEC, officials say

The full record

Each date is when an update was first reported.

All 48 recorded updates

November 2026

  1. Trump, Xi and Putin plan an unprecedented meeting on the sidelines of APEC, officials sayHeadline from NBC News · 39 outlets
  2. China confirms discussions are underway on a historic Xi-Trump-Putin meetingHeadline from MyNorthwest · 10 outlets

October 2026

  1. Trump Frames Potential Putin-Xi Meeting Around Denuclearization — Leaving Ukraine With No Seat at the TableHeadline from Latin Times · 21 outlets

September 2026

  1. Triumph or Procrastination? Experts Split on the Trump-Xi SummitHeadline from War on the Rocks · 6 outlets
  2. US officials deny there are plans to sell weapons to ChinaHeadline from ABC News · 45 outlets
  3. China and the US agree to set up a new AI safety channel, and to keep talking on trade, militaryHeadline from MyNorthwest · 26 outlets
  4. Trump-Xi takeaways: If there were victories, Trump's not sharing themHeadline from ABC 7 San Francisco · 2 outlets
  5. Brooks and Capehart on Trump's warm welcome for China's XiHeadline from Crosscut · 3 outlets
  6. Trump excoriated over ‘special treat’ for China’s Xi: ‘Can I puke now?’Headline from AL.com · 3 outlets
  7. U.S.-China trade deal details coming Monday, USTR Greer saysHeadline from Quartz · 3 outlets
  8. In China, the Xi-Trump summit is seen as projecting image of the country’s riseHeadline from WTOP Washington DC · 3 outlets
  9. Protesters of Xi’s policies push for change in earshot of White House visit with TrumpHeadline from MyNorthwest · 7 outlets
  10. Xi comes bearing gifts: 2 giant pandas and 100,000 student visasHeadline from The Hill · 5 outlets
  11. Trump stokes anger for rolling out the red carpet for ‘one of his dictator friends’Headline from Cleveland Plain Dealer · 4 outlets
  12. Melania Trump hosts China's first lady for an outing that is watched for diplomacy and styleHeadline from WFMZ Allentown · 7 outlets
  13. China State Media Says US Shares Responsibility for Managing AIHeadline from Bloomberg · 4 outlets
  14. Giant pandas arrive in Atlanta after Trump-Xi meetingHeadline from The Hill · 45 outlets
  15. Road closures, parking restrictions for Chinese president’s visit in the DistrictHeadline from WTOP Washington DC · 3 outlets
  16. Trump rules out joint US-China venture to develop AIHeadline from BBC News · 10 outlets
  17. Xi wraps up visit to WashingtonHeadline from Arkansas Democrat-Gazette · 72 outlets
  18. Wife of detained Chinese American scientist hopes Trump brings up his case in Xi summitHeadline from MyNorthwest · 4 outlets
  19. Zuckerberg, Altman, other Big Tech moguls among attendees at Trump-Xi dinnerHeadline from The Hill · 9 outlets
  20. Trump told Xi that China helping Iran is unacceptable, US ambassador saysHeadline from Al-Monitor · 5 outlets
  21. Taiwan is watching closely as Xi and Trump meet and hopes US will keep up its arms salesHeadline from MyNorthwest · 7 outlets
  22. What’s the US–China AI ‘hotline’ that Trump plans to pitch to Xi Jinping?Headline from Al Jazeera · 3 outlets

Coverage & sources

Read the reports, see how much was collected over time, or compare outlets by political leaning.

Coverage & sources →