President Donald Trump has made comments alleging Chinese interference in the 2020 election, which have raised concerns regarding his upcoming meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The White House has indicated that the meeting is still scheduled, although Beijing responded to Trump's remarks by stating that the allegations are fabricated and intended to vilify China. Trump has suggested that he expects to host Xi around September 24, coinciding with the U.N. General Assembly in New York.
Experts have expressed skepticism that Trump's speech will deter Xi from attending the meeting. Steve Yates, a senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, noted that the White House's plans for the meeting have not been contradicted by Chinese officials. Lyle Goldstein, director of Defense Priorities’s Asia Program, characterized Trump's allegations as unlikely to significantly affect U.S.-China relations.
A former senior national security official from Trump's administration also suggested that the longstanding tensions between the two countries would not be significantly impacted by Trump's comments. However, some experts believe Trump may still address the issue of election interference during the meeting. Piero Tozzi, senior director for China policy at the America First Policy Institute, highlighted previous instances of Chinese intelligence infiltrating U.S. government systems.
The two leaders last met in May, with previous discussions occurring in Busan, South Korea, in October 2025. Yates remarked that Xi Jinping's leadership style may complicate conventional analyses of U.S.-China relations, making it difficult to predict the outcomes of their interactions.