Trump Set to Host Xi Jinping at the White House as Trade Truce Extension Looks “Almost Certain”
President Trump is expected to host Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House on September 24, timed to coincide with the United Nations General Assembly gathering in New York. According to people familiar with the discussions, the two governments are close to agreeing to extend a one-year trade truce originally reached in Busan, South Korea, last October — with an extension of that agreement described as “almost certain.”
What’s Being Discussed Ahead of the Meeting
Chinese and U.S. officials have reportedly been discussing whether Chinese business executives will join Xi’s delegation to Washington, a detail that echoes Trump’s own May visit to Beijing, when he traveled with a large group of American CEOs, including the heads of Tesla, Apple, Nvidia, and Boeing. Including business leaders on both sides has become a recurring feature of these high-level meetings, reflecting how directly trade and technology policy has become intertwined with corporate strategy for both countries’ largest companies.
In the lead-up to the meeting, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with U.S. Ambassador to China David Perdue in Beijing, calling for both sides to implement the “leaders’ consensus,” manage differences, and remove obstacles to high-level exchanges. Perdue, for his part, described Trump’s earlier visit to China as having gone well and said Washington was ready to strengthen communication and prepare for further high-level engagement.
What’s Reportedly on the Agenda
Discussions are expected to center on the ongoing trade relationship, including tariff levels, market access, and the mechanics of extending the Busan truce. Artificial intelligence has also been flagged as a likely topic, consistent with both governments’ growing focus on AI policy and technology competition over the past year. Broader strategic issues — including the war in Ukraine, fentanyl-related enforcement, and Taiwan — have featured in previous Trump-Xi engagements and may come up again, though the immediate focus is expected to remain on trade.
The Broader Pattern of Trump-Xi Engagement This Year
This meeting would be part of a more frequent cadence of direct engagement between the two leaders than has been typical in recent years. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has previously suggested that as many as four meetings between Trump and Xi could occur across the year, describing the frequency itself as a stabilizing signal for the relationship. Bessent has also pointed to specific commitments made as part of the trade arrangement, including China’s agreed purchases of U.S. soybeans over a multi-year period, as evidence the truce has produced concrete, trackable outcomes rather than just a pause in hostilities.
Why Markets Are Watching Closely
Historically, high-level U.S.-China summits have often produced trade agreements or sector-specific policy announcements, and investors tend to treat these meetings as potential catalysts — both for near-term market moves and for longer-term shifts in tariff exposure across affected industries. A confirmed extension of the Busan truce would remove one source of uncertainty that’s been hanging over markets, particularly for companies with significant exposure to Chinese manufacturing, semiconductors, or agricultural exports.
That said, the meeting “remains unconfirmed” in a formal sense as of this writing, with observers still awaiting official confirmation from both the White House and the Chinese government on final scheduling and agenda details.
What This Means for U.S. Businesses
For businesses with any exposure to Chinese supply chains, imports, or exports, the outcome of this meeting could have direct implications for tariff costs and planning certainty over the next year. Even businesses without direct China exposure often feel secondary effects, since tariff-driven cost changes tend to ripple through supply chains broadly — a dynamic that’s made trade policy a recurring theme in business planning conversations over the past several years.
Regardless of how the summit resolves, businesses managing working capital around potential tariff-related cost changes are often looking for financing that can move quickly once the actual impact becomes clear, rather than being locked into a lengthy application process while conditions are still shifting. Our breakdown of same-day business funding covers what genuinely fast funding looks like for exactly this kind of situation.
How Smart Business Funding Approaches Policy Uncertainty
Trade policy, tariffs, and international summits can shift the cost picture for import- and export-exposed businesses quickly. Smart Business Funding’s Direct Fund Program is built around a business’s current revenue rather than a specific trade or policy outlook, with underwriting that can move in hours rather than weeks once a business needs to adjust. See the full process on the how it works page, review funding by business type on the industries page, or apply now.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Trump expected to meet with Xi Jinping? The meeting is expected around September 24, 2026, at the White House, timed to coincide with the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
What is the Busan trade truce? It’s a one-year trade agreement reached between the U.S. and China in Busan, South Korea, last October, which both sides are reportedly close to extending.
What topics are expected to be discussed at the meeting? Trade, tariffs, and market access are the primary expected topics, with artificial intelligence also flagged as likely to come up.
Will Chinese business executives attend the meeting? Discussions are reportedly underway about including Chinese business leaders in Xi’s delegation, mirroring the inclusion of American CEOs during Trump’s earlier visit to Beijing.
Is the meeting officially confirmed? As of this writing, the meeting has not received final official confirmation from either the White House or the Chinese government, though it is widely expected to proceed.
Managing working capital around shifting trade policy? Apply now or call 1-866-Re-Smart. You can also reach the team at contact us.
