Marco Rubio Confirms Xi Jinping's September US Visit Remains on Schedule

Diplomatic preparations and signals

Several concrete moves support the planned visit:

• Rubio's Manila trip: In mid-July, Rubio traveled to the Philippines for Asia-Pacific meetings, where he planned to meet his Chinese counterpart to advance preparations for the September summit .
• Beijing confirms communication: Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on July 20 that Beijing and Washington have 'maintained communication on leader exchanges this year,' confirming the diplomatic channel remains open .
• The May invitation: Trump formally invited Xi to visit the White House on September 24 during his own state visit to China on May 13-15, 2026 — the first US presidential trip to China since 2017 . The invitation included Xi's wife, Peng Liyuan . Both leaders agreed to build a 'constructive relationship of strategic stability' .

The election interference allegations

On July 16, 2026, President Trump alleged in a primetime address that 'the People's Republic of China carried out what is believed to be the largest compromise of election data in history' . He claimed Beijing acquired 220 million US voter records starting in the 2020 election cycle and declassified related intelligence documents .

China immediately rejected the claims. 'The relevant allegations by the US are entirely fabricated and aimed at vilifying China,' said Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian. 'We have no interest in interfering in the internal affairs of the United States' .

Visit proceeding despite tensions

Rubio acknowledged the allegations but signaled they would not derail the visit . White House trade adviser Peter Navarro later directed the investigative focus toward 'nefarious actors domestically' rather than Beijing, saying 'this isn't a story about China' . The September summit is widely seen as a continuation of the diplomatic reset begun during Trump's Beijing trip, which produced trade agreements and a consensus on bilateral stability . Holding the visit despite public friction reinforces the strategic stability track both sides have emphasized .

Timing alongside the UN General Assembly

Trump first mentioned the September 24 date while discussing White House construction plans, noting the visit would coincide with the UN General Assembly's high-level week in New York . This overlap allows Xi to attend the UNGA session and then proceed to Washington for the bilateral summit, making the trip logistically efficient for both sides .