President Xi Jinping is preparing a large business delegation to accompany him on his visit to Washington, according to two sources. ^[1] President Donald Trump is slated to host Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House on 2026-09-24, though China has not officially confirmed the visit. ^[2] U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent unveiled on 2026-08-24 a sweeping secondary-sanctions plan dubbed "Operation Economic Outcast" that aims to cut off Iran's business partners, potentially including China, by far Tehran's biggest trading partner, and insisted that no one is above the reach of U.S. sanctions. ^[3] Chinese companies have faced increasing scrutiny of their U.S. investments and business operations in recent years, including a 100% tariff on imported Chinese EVs. ^[4] The move is aimed at signalling China's willingness to support investment and commercial ties with the U.S., while offering the White House potential economic wins ahead of midterm elections, one source said. ^[5] Washington has banned foreign drone, router and robot imports and forced the divestiture of TikTok's U.S. operations. ^[6] Craig Singleton, senior director for China at the nonparisan Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said the U.S.-China relationship increasingly produces transactions without trust and stability without settlement, calling the upcoming summit a low-expectations summit focused largely on managing the stalemate rather than resolving it. ^[7] Xi Jinping is set to arrive in the U.S. less than six weeks before the 2026 midterm elections, with polls showing President Trump's approval rating sinking to new lows and Democrats appearing increasingly likely to retake majority control of at least one chamber of Congress. ^[8]