Washington Update

President Donald Trump will visit China the first week of April to meet with President Xi Jinping, Politico reported on Monday. With just a month and a half to go, the administration’s specific objectives for the trip remain unclear. Trump said last week that he had spoken with Xi about renewed commitments to purchase US energy and potentially agriculture, offering no additional information.

President Donald Trump announced on Wednesday that he had an “excellent” call with Chinese President Xi Jinping and looks forward to visiting China in April. The Treasury Department and the Office of the US Trade Representative are leading trade discussions in preparation for the visit.

At the World Economic Forum in Davos, President Donald Trump doubled down on his “America First” trade stance, taking some jabs at China in the process. But his top trade negotiators offered a more optimistic tone when addressing the US-China trade relationship.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday issued two statutorily required proclamations responding to the findings of Section 232 investigations into critical minerals and semiconductors, which concluded in October and December, respectively. The limited scope of follow-up actions is further evidence that the administration is prioritizing its detente with China ahead of a potential presidential visit to the country in April.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) on Monday appointed Representative Ro Khanna (D-CA) to succeed Representative Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) as the top Democrat on the House Select Committee on the CCP. Earlier that day, Krishnamoorthi announced he would step down as ranking member, likely to focus on his upcoming Senate campaign. Both Krishnamoorthi and Khanna have served on the select committee since its inception in 2023.

The House passed a compromise version of the National Defense Authorization Act for 2026 on Wednesday, with the Senate set to consider the legislation early next week. The bill, which had been delayed by last-minute negotiations that covered China issues, is considered the only must-pass legislation for Congress before the end of the year. The White House on Monday confirmed that President Donald Trump will sign the bill if it reaches his desk.

The United States and China continue to uphold their truce. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday that China is poised to keep “every part of the deal,” and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer further assured on Thursday that the United States is “prioritizing stability” in the bilateral relationship.

This week, the United States and China continued to take action on commitments made during the leaders’ meeting in October.

The United States and China are both taking concrete steps to implement the stability measures discussed by President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping in South Korea last month.

The White House on Saturday published a fact sheet outlining the main components of the consensus reached between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in South Korea last week. The document reaffirms commitments reported after the leaders’ meeting.