The two heads of state and their spouses will have tea in the White House Red Room and visit the National Archives together to view historical documents related to the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and US-China relations.
President Trump attended the UN General Assembly in New York, delivered a speech, and met with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
The US Department of the Treasury announced that starting September 23, it will completely cut off the global operations of Iran's airlines, denying landing and fueling services, and will impose sanctions such as SWIFT expulsion on external entities assisting Iran.
Anti-trafficking volunteer Shangguan Zhengyi discovered through investigations that some underground surrogacy agencies intentionally have surrogate mothers conceive twins and sell the surplus infants through human traffickers for about 160,000 RMB each.
China's Ministry of Commerce and four other departments announced the addition of two precursor chemicals to the export control catalog. Starting immediately, exports to the United States, Mexico, and Canada will require a license application, a move seen as a response to the Trump administration's demands for the control of fentanyl precursors.
The wife of ethnic Chinese American seismologist Chen Youlin, who has been detained in China for nearly two years, stated that the White House has assured her Trump will demand her husband's release during his meeting with Xi Jinping this week.
According to Bloomberg and The Wall Street Journal, Xi Jinping is not expected to be accompanied by a delegation of chief executive officers during his upcoming visit to the United States, similar to his 2015 trip, leaving expectations for commercial outcomes from the summit limited.
On September 22, US Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Roger Wicker spoke on the Senate floor, publicly opposing Trump giving a grand welcome to Xi Jinping, and urged Trump to raise issues such as Chinese military expansion, Taiwan, Iran, and human rights in Xinjiang during their talks.
On September 22, US Senate Democratic Whip Durbin spoke on the Senate floor, demanding that Trump raise the release of detainees such as Gulshan Abbas, Jimmy Lai, Gao Quanfu, Pang Yu, and Akbar Asat during his meeting with Xi Jinping.
An article reported that Bian Yuye, former chairman of Jiangsu Dafeng Rural Commercial Bank, was handcuffed behind her back and forced to slap herself over 800 times during her 168-day detention, losing over 30 kilograms. Her infant daughter, who was breastfeeding, was also detained. The article was subsequently deleted.
A spokesperson for the State Council of the United States in Chinese said that Trump and Xi Jinping already held a face-to-face meeting in 2026, and a meeting later this year is not ruled out.
At 5 PM on September 22, Shi Tingfu was officially informed of his death from "myocardial infarction" at Shahe Prison in the First Division of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. His son received a call from the prison at 10:30 PM that night. The family claims he was in good condition during a recent visit. Chinese human rights defenders' network demands medical records and an independent investigation.
Reuters reported on September 22, citing people familiar with the matter, that Xi Jinping is preparing to cite the 1982 August 17 Communiqué during his visit to the United States and demand that Trump stop arms sales to Taiwan.
Between September 22 and 23, Tibet Autonomous Region Party Secretary Wang Junzheng and Anhui Provincial Party Secretary Liang Yanshun successively stepped down or were removed from office.
According to Japanese media reports, Beijing has warned Washington that if the United States approves a new batch of arms sales to Taiwan before the U.S.-China summit, China will cancel the meeting; Trump responded that he is not worried about Xi Jinping canceling the summit over the arms sales issue.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan arrived in Washington on Wednesday.
After the welcome ceremony, U.S. First Lady Melania will accompany Chinese First Lady Peng Liyuan to visit the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art in Washington.
Recently, a large number of petitioners gathered near the reception office of the National Bureau of Letters and Calls, located at No. Jia 1, Yongdingmen West Street, Xicheng District, Beijing.
Parents in multiple regions across the country report that schools are enforcing strict campus behavioral codes, including requiring students to walk in straight lines and make right-angle turns, as well as facing criticism or point deductions for observing nature during breaks or having poor sitting postures.
On September 22, multiple construction workers at Hong Kong International Airport hung banners to protest five months of unpaid wages, with banners reading slogans such as "Sweat delivered, no pay received."
Guangdong Foshan Jinting Communication (Machinery) Co., Ltd. was exposed for defaulting on a total of 4 million yuan in wages for all employees. Multiple employees hung banners and lay on the ground at the company entrance to protest and demand unpaid wages.
On September 22, a "Free Tibet" activist climbed a lamppost near Capitol Hill in Washington, unfurled a flag with a snow mountain and lion, and shouted slogans against Xi Jinping and Tibet policies.
On the evening of September 22, a stabbing incident occurred outside the east gate of Shanxi Normal University in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province. A man, suspected of a romantic dispute, slashed a female student. He was subsequently subdued by people at the scene and handed over to the police for handling.
A BBC Verify investigation found that Apple Maps massively blurs satellite imagery within China, covering military, government, and Xinjiang detention facilities. Apple responded that it must comply with local laws.
The Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court announced the first-instance verdict in the corruption and bribery case of Zhao Lei, former general manager of the Beijing Cultural Investment Development Group, sentencing him to life imprisonment, depriving him of political rights for life, and confiscating all his personal property.
Students at Zhongshan Memorial Middle School in Guangdong chanted in residential buildings to protest after the school broke its holiday promise by cutting the Mid-Autumn Festival holiday down to just one day.
A forcible demolition dispute occurred in Shuangliu District, Chengdu City, Sichuan Province, where multiple residents formed a human wall in front of an excavator to stop the construction.
New developments have emerged in the case of a 13-year-old girl in Yuncheng, Shanxi who was allegedly raped and whose case was initially refused registration. The case has now been transferred to the procuratorate for review and prosecution, and the discipline inspection department has opened an investigation into the handling police officers for refusing to open a case.
On September 22, UK Prime Minister Burnham met with Trump in New York, demanding the immediate release of Jimmy Lai and asking if Trump could raise the case during his talks with Xi Jinping.
On September 22, the UK representative at the UN Human Rights Council called for the repeal of Hong Kong's National Security Law and the release of British citizen Jimmy Lai, who has been sentenced.
On September 22, netizens discovered that in the 'Micro-Wish' mini-program under the China Youth Development Foundation, the prices of wish items for children in need were significantly higher than market norms: school bags at 243 yuan, eye-protection desk lamps at 298 yuan, and insulated lunch boxes at 199 yuan. The comment section was flooded with questions about whether the donations could truly reach the children.
On September 22, Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee, in accordance with Article 16(2) of the Hong Kong National Security Law, appointed Kong Hok-lai as Deputy Commissioner of Police (National Security), succeeding the retired Kan Kai-yan. The appointment took effect immediately, and Kong was sworn in on the same day. Kong Hok-lai was included in the U.S. sanctions list in 2021.
The Xinmin Cross-Strait Research Association released a poll on the Taipei mayoral election in late September, in which Kuomintang candidate Chiang Wan-an received 41.7% and Democratic Progressive Party candidate Puma Shen received 40.5%, a gap of 1.2 percentage points between the two.
On September 22, 2026, according to China Digital Times (CDT), Chinese independent journalist and #MeToo activist Huang Xueqin was released after serving five years in prison. Huang Xueqin had previously been sentenced by the authorities on the charge of "inciting subversion of state power" for her participation in advancing China's #MeToo movement and her attention to social issues. The news of her release drew overseas public attention to the space for civil society in China and to the fighters for women's rights.
On the morning of September 22, 2026, a pro-CCP sympathizer openly attacked Falun Gong practitioners holding a peaceful rally in front of the Chinese Consulate-General in Toronto, destroyed display boards, and issued death threats such as "I'll shoot you." Related tweets strongly condemned this atrocity.
On September 22, an influencer with 3.21 million followers on Douyin, who had publicly criticized mobile pop-up ads multiple times, posted an apology video. They stated that their accounts on other platforms had all been banned, apologized to the affected brands and companies, and declared that they would no longer mention matters unrelated to themselves in the future.
Starbucks China stores require employees to hand-draw smiles on every cup of coffee. Those who miss drawing them will receive a secondary warning, and accumulating two warnings will result in the loss of their 13th and 14th-month bonuses or even termination.
Employees of Xi'an Feibao Technology publicly complained about the company executive. It is reported that the company is a core supplier to the People's Liberation Army.
Recently, multiple netizens reported that schools and workplaces have mobilized blood donation by offering holidays, subsidies, or wage deduction threats. Treatment varies drastically, and some participants have been accused of being selfish.
On September 22, Weibo restricted the topic pages for “Jack Latiao” and “rumors of Jack Latiao being stabbed into the ICU,” displaying that the content is not shown due to laws and regulations.
Xiamen Lulin Sen Environmental Technology Co., Ltd. was fined 20,000 yuan by the Xiamen Agriculture and Rural Affairs Bureau for failing to accurately record pesticide use over a long period, refusing to correct the issue after being ordered to do so, and being identified as having carried out false rectification.
On September 22, Li Auto released an advertisement in collaboration with actor Xie Mian. Due to its striking similarities in creativity, composition, and camera movement with Volvo's 2013 ad starring Jean-Claude Van Damme, it triggered netizens' accusations of plagiarism.
On September 22, 2026, multiple accounts on X with names including "Mutual Follow" and biographies mostly pointing to Huantai, Zibo, Shandong, posted the exact same sentence word-for-word within a span of over ten minutes: "From Beijing to Washington, we look forward to China-US relations continuing along the correct course of constructive strategic stability."
On September 22, a student from Jiangxi (IP Jiangxi) posted a video stating that using his own insulated cup to get water from a campus drinking fountain, the machine continuously charges based on water usage, and one cup of water ultimately cost about ¥2.2. Netizens complained it is more expensive than 92 gasoline. The video received over 140,000 likes and more than 30,000 comments.
On September 22, a netizen studying in the US posted that his mother's cross-border remittance of living expenses was intercepted by the bank according to the "Anti‑Telecom Network Fraud Law" and the anti‑fraud center's requirements, with transaction failure code 10036784. He had returned to China to deal with the bank, but after more than a month it remains unresolved; because the living expenses have not arrived, he cannot pay the rent and faces moving out of the apartment.
On September 22, a popular landmark wall in Linfen, Shanxi, featuring a portrait of Marilyn Monroe, was painted white and replaced with the red characters 'Love Reading,' sparking heated discussion and mockery among netizens.
On September 22, a netizen in Shanghai posted that when purchasing two small household scissors, they were required to first scan 'Suishenban' for police registration, and then perform a secondary registration by hand on-site.
On September 22, a netizen posted on Xiaohongshu that normal transfers between family members via Alipay repeatedly triggered anti-fraud alerts every few days, and anti-fraud personnel came to their home for verification multiple times; on September 23, the poster said they were told their bank card would be frozen if they did not cooperate, and multiple complaints yielded no result.
On September 22, Weibo big V Chengdu Sewer revealed that about 4 years ago Li Ji had used the name of the National Health Commission to intervene in a medical dispute involving Aier Eye Hospital, and released the relevant chat records.
On September 22, CCTV.com published "CCTV Quick Commentary: Strive to Make the Lives of the Vast Number of Farmers Happier and Better," focusing on Xi Jinping extending Harvest Festival greetings to farmers across the country, and proposing to protect grain-growing returns through measures such as prices, subsidies and insurance; netizens commented sarcastically that it "sounds nice."