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President Donald Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington this week, a day after signing a security agreement in Greenland that, once in effect, would bar non-NATO states like China from establishing a military presence there, sharpening the Arctic security backdrop for their face-to-face negotiations.
Xi’s three-day state visit took place against this backdrop, with Trump holding a formal arrival ceremony at the White House, holding high-stakes talks, joining Xi for a tour of the National Archives and presiding over a state dinner attended by some of America’s most prominent tech executives.
A senior US official told Fox News Digital that Trump and Xi discussed the economy, trade, “super intelligence” and cooperation on a range of shared priorities, although it remains unclear what concrete agreements emerged behind closed doors.
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President Donald Trump (R) shakes hands with Chinese President Xi Jinping as they leave the National Archives Museum after a visit September 25, 2026 in Washington, DC. President Xi concludes his three-day state visit to Washington, DC, with a tour of the National Archives to view important documents on U.S.-China relations throughout history. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)
So far, Trump has not announced a concrete deal during Xi’s visit to Washington, unlike his visit to Beijing in May.
Trump had already told reporters before leaving China that the two countries had reached “fantastic trade deals,” even though the White House did not release its full economic deal until two days after the summit.
Thursday’s state dinner attracted 134 guests, including both executives and prominent technology figures such as Nvidia’s Jensen Huang, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, AMD’s Lisa Su, Apple’s Tim Cook, OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Tesla and SpaceX’s Elon Musk, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Microsoft’s Satya Nadella and Google’s Sundar Pichai.
Christine Balling, senior vice president for professional affiliations at the Institute of World Politics, told Fox News Digital that inviting America’s top AI tycoons to Thursday night’s state dinner was a strategic move to show Xi that the United States is the world’s top dog in the AI race.
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China’s First Lady Peng Liyuan and President Xi Jinping sit with President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump in the Oval Office of the White House September 24, 2026 in Washington, DC Trump is hosting Xi for a three-day state visit to discuss trade practices, artificial intelligence and strengthening “strategic stability” between their countries. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
“I think the importance of the timing of this meeting, whether intentional or not, shows that the Trump administration takes the future of AI and the world very, very seriously,” she said. “I think that’s the most important takeaway. But ultimately, I think the most important images were of all the AI technicians invited to that state dinner.”
Greenland has become the backdrop for Trump’s two meetings with Xi this year. Negotiations over an increased U.S. security role began months before Trump visited Beijing in May, while Trump renewed his public pressure on Greenland over the summer as his administration continued negotiations aimed in part at limiting Russian and Chinese influence in the Arctic.
Five days before Xi arrived in Washington, Trump announced a Greenland security agreement that was formally signed on September 22 and, once in effect, would expand the U.S. military posture while restricting China’s military presence and some sensitive investments in the territory.
China has had its eyes on Greenland for years, especially as it seeks to expand its role in the Arctic. Beijing has expressed interest in Greenland’s infrastructure and natural resources, including its valuable deposits of rare earths and critical minerals. U.S. officials have also pointed to past Chinese efforts involving a former U.S. naval base and airport projects as signs of Beijing’s broader ambitions in the region.
Balling is an expert on foreign policy, particularly in the Western Hemisphere, and says Trump’s historic Greenland deal was a major blow to China.
Trump declares victory in historic Greenland deal, guarantees ‘permanent’ US military rights
President Donald Trump walks on a red carpet after greeting Chinese President Xi Jinping during an arrival ceremony at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, September 23, 2026. Trump is hosting Xi for a three-day state visit to Washington, DC, where the leaders are expected to discuss trade practices, artificial intelligence and strengthening “strategic stability” between their countries. (Getty Images)
“First, this is a tremendous victory for the United States and, frankly, for the free world,” she said. “This means that the United States currently has the capacity to establish two additional bases. So we have a space force base…and have now secured land, air and sea rights across Greenland. We have the capacity to exclude any other country that expresses interest in establishing any military presence and/or investment.”
“This means that the United States and its NATO allies will have the first right of refusal when it comes to mining, and not just for rare elements, but also for oil, gas and data centers.”
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China’s First Lady Peng Liyuan, Chinese President Xi Jinping, President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump pose on the steps of the North Portico of the White House before a state dinner in Washington, DC, September 24, 2026. President Xi is on a state visit to the United States from September 23-25. (SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
China has long sought to play a greater role in the Arctic, declaring itself a “near Arctic state” and promoting a “Polar Silk Road” encompassing trade, research and resource development.
Balling argued that Beijing had reason to oppose the U.S.-Denmark-Greenland deal because the United States remains heavily dependent on China for several critical mineral supply chains.
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“I also have to say to everyone who was mocking the Trump administration and President Trump’s comments about buying or invading Greenland, they now have egg on their face,” she said. “I never thought for a moment that President Trump was serious about this. I think what he was serious about was exactly what was achieved in the deal that was just signed.”
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