Ambassador Xie Feng on Newsweek Interview: Significance of Xi's U.S. State Visit, New Positioning of China-U.S. Relations and Economic Outcomes
WASHINGTON — Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng gave an interview on September 29 to Tom O'Connor, senior foreign policy writer of Newsweek, on President Xi Jinping's state visit to the United States and China-U.S. relations. The interview was published on the magazine's website on October 1, with the full transcript later posted on the website of the Chinese Embassy in the United States.
On the visit's significance, Xie offered four points: first, it was President Xi's first state visit to the U.S. in 11 years, a reaffirmation of the strategic value both sides place on the relationship in the new era; second, the two heads of state met each other within half a year, from Beijing in early summer to Washington in the golden autumn; third, the U.S. side extended the highest-standard courtesies, with President Trump and the First Lady personally greeting the visitors at the airport; fourth, the visit produced substantive outcomes, advancing the constructive and stable China-U.S. relationship.
The outcomes fell into five areas: (1) a new chapter for summit diplomacy, with both leaders agreeing to support each other's hosting of the APEC leaders' meeting and the G20 summit; (2) new guidance for bilateral ties, agreeing to build a "constructive and stable China-U.S. relationship based on respect, fairness and reciprocity"; (3) new space for economic cooperation, including continued suspension of reciprocal tariffs, a "$30 billion for $30 billion" reciprocal tariff-reduction arrangement, stronger law-enforcement cooperation against transnational crime, China's newly added scheduling of precursor chemicals, and an early MOU between the two militaries on crisis communication; (4) new bridges for people-to-people exchanges, with President Xi announcing that China will invite 100,000 American teenagers to China over five years and that giant pandas "Ping Ping" and "Fu Shuang" will settle at Zoo Atlanta; (5) a shared commitment to world peace, with both leaders recalling China and the U.S. as WWII allies and exchanging views on SI, the Middle East, the Ukraine crisis and the Korean Peninsula.
On the latest trade talks, Xie said the two economic teams held the eighth round of consultations in New York and Washington on September 20–23, reaching ten practical outcomes: a China-U.S. trade and investment council; agreement on the "$30 billion for $30 billion" reciprocal tariff cuts; Chinese coal imports from the U.S.; an agriculture working group; principled consensus on financial services; an SI dialogue; extension of the reciprocal tariff suspension to January 10, 2027; discussions on more direct flights; and renewed commitment to prior consensuses.
On SI, Xie said the two sides held their first SI dialogue in September, agreed to meet again in November, and agreed to establish a communication channel on SI incidents. He also cited a Chicago Council on Global Affairs poll showing 57% of Americans support engagement and cooperation with China.
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：中国驻美国大使谢锋（资料图，2023年）。美国财政部照片，公共领域，经维基共享资源（Wikimedia Commons）。Photo: Chinese Ambassador to the United States Xie Feng (file photo, 2023). U.S. Department of the Treasury photo, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
- 2026-09-29Ambassador Xie Feng on Newsweek Interview: Significance of Xi's U.S. State Visit, New Positioning of China-U.S. Relations and Economic OutcomesThis story
- 2026-09-30Chinese Ambassador Xie Feng Hosts National Day Reception in Washington: 2026 Is a Landmark Year for China-U.S. Relations
- 2026-10-11"Future Resonance — ShanghaiEye Night" Brings Shanghai to Washington's National Mall; Ambassador Xie Feng Attends
