Xi-Trump Summit Planned Amid $1 Trillion Surplus

Xi Jinping meets Donald Trump in Washington on September 24 with China's global trade surplus on track to exceed $1 trillion for a second year. More than half of roughly 6,500 product categories China sold to the U.S. this year have grown from 2025. The summit comes four months after their May meeting in Beijing and follows an October 2025 trade truce. Scott Bessent and He Lifeng held preparatory talks in New York on Sunday on AI safeguards and non-sensitive trade. A Chinese business delegation, possibly including firms under U.S. regulatory scrutiny, is set to accompany Xi. Jon Czin said Xi wants to extend the "gentleman's agreement" so China has time to "fortify itself." Scott Kennedy said U.S. unilateral pressure failed to force concessions and "Now this is Xi Jinping's world, and we're all living in it." Talks could touch Chinese fentanyl precursor curbs, soybean and Boeing purchases, and rare-earth controls. Trump has called a pending $14 billion Taiwan arms package a "negotiating chip." Wu Xinbo said ties are more transactional and Beijing could tie Taiwan accommodations to other issues. Ruby Osman said both leaders want stability so Trump can focus on Iran and Xi on domestic resilience after Trump.