As President Trump prepares to welcome China’s Xi Jinping to the White House, he is busy in New York offending Iranian and Cuban diplomats at the United Nations while pressing his case for the “annihilation” of the Islamic Republic. No kidding, he actually threatened that.
UN aside, Trump is set to roll out the red carpet for Xi. He and wife Melania actually plan to greet Xi as he arrives at the airport, just as he did for Putin in Alaska in 2025. After the arrival greeting, there’s no telling what Trump will concede to China’s dictator once talks commence.
When Trump visited Xi in Beijing in May, he was warned about Taiwan and immediately halted an arms sale to the island nation.
As matters stand now, it is unclear if Xi will be bringing any business executives with him, meaning an AI tête-à-tête might not be happening. The schedule so far contains a White House welcoming ceremony with nearly 500 military personnel on hand to salute the chief, and then a state dinner. Concerning the dinner, Trump lamented that the ballroom he envisions won’t be available, so the gathering will be small.
Regardless of the venue, there’s no telling what Trump will do — or concede — when he is in the presence of powerful dictators, a role he himself aspires to.
