White House Confirms Chinese President Xi Jinping’s First State Visit to Washington

Chinese President Xi Jinping will make a state visit to the U.S. at the end of the month, the White House confirmed in a statement on Tuesday.

The visit, Xi’s first official one to Washington, will take place on Sept. 25 and reciprocates President Barack Obama’s trip to Beijing last November, the statement said.

The U.S. President and First Lady Michelle Obama will also host Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan at a state dinner that evening, after the two leaders have engaged in bilateral talks.

“President Xi’s visit will present an opportunity to expand U.S.-China cooperation on a range of global, regional, and bilateral issues of mutual interest, while also enabling President Obama and President Xi to address areas of disagreement constructively,” the statement added.

Xi, whose visit was first announced in February, is expected to stop in Seattle to meet several U.S. tech leaders on his way to Washington, before going on to New York City for the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 28.

Obama and Xi are expected to broach a range of contentious issues, including Washington’s concerns over China’s alleged cyberespionage and its increasing assertiveness in the disputed waters of the South China Sea.