VOA Today's Focus (September 25, 2026): President Trump Welcomes Xi Jinping to the White House, Is "Panda Diplomacy" Back?

Video report on Trump welcoming Xi Jinping to the White House, where the two leaders held talks to discuss trade, artificial intelligence, security, and technology issues. Xi Jinping announced the gift of giant pandas to the Atlanta Zoo, and Peng Liyuan visited the National Museum of Asian Art with Melania. Rallies supporting the rights of Tibet, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the Uyghurs took place in Washington that day. U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent also announced that the U.S.-China trade truce has been extended until January 10, 2027.

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President Trump held a welcome ceremony at the White House for Chinese President Xi Jinping. Xi Jinping announced the gift of a pair of giant pandas to the United States. Xi Jinping received a warm welcome at the White House, with mixed reactions from U.S. members of Congress. U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent announced that the U.S. and China have decided to extend the trade truce by two months.

U.S. President Trump held a grand welcome ceremony at the White House on Thursday for visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping, and the two leaders subsequently began their talks. The two parties in the U.S. Congress had mixed reactions to Xi Jinping's visit; some Republican lawmakers supported high-level engagement while focusing on Taiwan and human rights issues, while Democratic lawmakers focused on the Iran issue and the technological competition between the U.S. and China in artificial intelligence.

On Thursday morning, a red carpet was laid out on the South Lawn of the White House. U.S. President Trump and First Lady Melania welcomed the car carrying Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan amidst the music of the U.S. Armed Forces honor guard. After the two guests arrived, they posed for photos with President Trump and the First Lady, capturing this historic moment.

The two leaders of the U.S. and China subsequently delivered speeches in the entrance hall of the White House state floor, attended by U.S. cabinet officials and Chinese officials. President Trump said that President Xi's visit comes at the time of the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, and he will take President Xi and his wife to visit the National Archives to learn about American history.

President Trump said that the visit of Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan coincides with the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States. Tomorrow, they will visit the National Archives to view the greatest treasures of this proud history, including the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.

President Trump emphasized in his speech that the United States and China are joining hands to cooperate in order to create a better future. It was the encounter between the U.S. Marines and the Chinese people that inspired them to adopt a Chinese phrase that is still used to pay tribute. The Marines use it to express great enthusiasm, but in Chinese, its literal meaning is to work hard together.

President Trump emphasized his personal relationship with Xi Jinping over the years and stated that both sides have already made progress in areas such as trade, expressing hope for continued future cooperation to address security and technological challenges. During this visit, the two countries will also discuss urgent issues concerning security, technology, and superintelligence. The decisions we make in these fields today can promote peace and prosperity that will last for decades; if they focus on common interests, he believes that throughout history, the two countries can achieve many great things.

Chinese President Xi Jinping also mentioned the topic of artificial intelligence in his speech. He said that both China and the United States are major powers in artificial intelligence, possessing both the capability and the responsibility to develop and manage artificial intelligence well, ensuring that its development remains under human control and benefits the people.

Xi Jinping also announced that two giant pandas, Pingping and Fushuang, will arrive at Zoo Atlanta. Giant pandas are messengers of friendship between the peoples of China and the United States, and he stated that this is good news—in just a few days, the giant pandas Pingping and Fushuang will arrive at Zoo Atlanta to meet the American people.

Following their speeches, the two leaders and the First Ladies proceeded to the White House Rose Garden to attend a military review. After the military review, President Trump and President Xi Jinping held bilateral talks, while the two First Ladies visited the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art. This three-day visit includes not only bilateral talks but also a state dinner that the two heads of state will attend.

Meanwhile, during the visit to Washington by Chinese President Xi Jinping, his wife Peng Liyuan and U.S. First Lady Melania visited the National Museum of Asian Art together. On September 24, Chinese President's wife Peng Liyuan and U.S. First Lady Melania visited the museum together.

Accompanied by museum director Chase Robinson, the two toured the museum's famous Peacock Room. The Peacock Room, imbued with Oriental flair, is a renowned work by American artist James McNeill Whistler. The juxtaposition of Asian and American art in this museum is one of its most important features.

喜びThe White House stated that Peng Liyuan and Melania would enjoy Asian art at the museum and learn about cultural exchanges between the U.S. and China. The two then watched a performance by a children's choir from the Xiwang Chinese Language School and posed for photos with the children.

The National Museum of Asian Art is composed of the Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, housing a collection of over 46,000 exhibits spanning from the Bronze Age to modern times.

After visiting the National Museum of Asian Art, the cultural exchange itinerary was not yet over. On Friday, President Trump, First Lady Melania, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and his wife Peng Liyuan will visit the National Archives together. The National Archives houses important documents from the founding period of the United States, including the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution.

Aside from the White House welcoming ceremony and the First Lady's cultural visit in the afternoon, there were other activities at the White House that day to welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping. Voice of America White House correspondent Huang Yaoyi reported that reporters saw the U.S. military honor guard lining up behind the White House in preparation for the state dinner that evening. As guests arrive, the tri-service honor guard will line up to welcome them. The evening welcoming events will take place at the North Portico.

Huang Yaoyi said that after the bilateral talks in the afternoon, everyone originally thought Xi was about to leave, and media gathered outside the White House West Wing at around 1:00 PM because Xi's limousine was parked there. Suddenly, the White House requested the media to gather.

President Trump specially brought Xi Jinping out of the West Wing office to the newly built helipad on the South Lawn. Marine One was parked there, and the two men watched the helicopter on the scene and even entered its interior.

At the scene, reporters loudly asked whether the two had discussed Taiwan or Jimmy Lai, but neither President Trump nor Xi Jinping responded. Afterward, President Trump personally escorted Xi Jinping out of the West Wing of the White House. Before Xi Jinping got into his car, the two shook hands and had a brief conversation. Media at the scene once again asked whether Taiwan and Jimmy Lai were discussed, but the two still did not respond.

At that time, the White House had not yet released a readout of their conversation, but the Chinese side had already issued some flash reports stating that the two sides had discussed Taiwan. Voice of America also asked the White House when the readout regarding the Taiwan talks would be released and whether the Taiwan issue was discussed, but had not received a response from the White House at the time. After Xi Jinping's motorcade left, President Trump told the media that he and Xi Jinping had a great conversation.

There was also a minor conflict at the scene between the Chinese accompanying media, the U.S. media, and White House Secret Service personnel. After arriving at the scene, the Chinese media pushed the U.S. media in an attempt to take the spots where the U.S. media were supposed to stand, causing dissatisfaction among the U.S. media. The Secret Service intervened, and Chinese delegation officials also coordinated with them. Eventually, the Chinese media returned to their proper positions.

Later in the White House Rose Garden, Chinese media personnel continued to walk up to the stands and crowded around other people when entering. A Chinese personnel member came up and directly demanded that a Voice of America reporter leave, telling the reporter in English to go to the other side. The reporter replied that if the other side was better, they should go there themselves.

In Franklin Square around the White House, there were large and small protests that day. In the morning, there was a gathering of Falun Gong practitioners and Uyghurs, and Tibetans, Taiwanese, Hong Kongers, and Chinese Americans also gathered in Franklin Square. They planned to hold a rally at 5:30 PM, with some participants marching to the White House and holding a candlelight vigil in the evening.

Some Tibetans walked from New York to Washington to participate in that day's events. Participant Xiao Sangquzhen said she is the niece of Lobsang Choegyal, a Tibetan activist who self-immolated outside UN Headquarters in July.

Xiao Sangquzhen stated that they walked from New York to Washington because President Trump was meeting with Xi Jinping that day, and they put forward four demands: support Tibetan independence; abolish the Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress; immediately terminate the boarding school system targeting Tibetan children, allowing Tibetan children to live with their parents and have the right to learn their native language and traditional customs; and release the 11th Panchen Lama and all those detained for expressing political and religious beliefs.

She said the walk was led by two Tibetan mothers, with over 20 independent walkers participating. Previously, Lobsang Choegyal had walked for Tibetan independence multiple times, and this action was to commemorate his love for Tibet and to express the aforementioned four demands. Participants set out from in front of the UN Headquarters in New York, passed through Philadelphia, and walked all the way to Washington.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent stated that the United States and China have agreed to extend their trade truce by two months, moving the deadline from the original November 10 to January 10, 2027. Bessent stated that the extension will buy both sides more time to continue negotiations on potential economic measures.

Currently, this trade truce agreement covers key issues such as tariffs, the fentanyl problem, soybean purchases, and rare earth export controls. Bessent announced this news on the evening of September 23, shortly after Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived at Joint Base Andrews for a state visit.

President Trump held bilateral talks with Xi Jinping at the White House on Thursday, and the trade truce is expected to be a core issue of the U.S.-China summit. Bessent also revealed that both sides may announce new arrangements regarding financial services and agricultural product procurement.

Previously, U.S. Trade Representative Greer had stated that the two sides still had differences regarding the extension clauses. Therefore, whether this meeting between the two heads of state can push the trade truce to further transform into a broader economic agreement has attracted attention.