New York will host the general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, beginning on September 22, 2026. The general debate will be held from September 22 to 26 and on September 28, while the UN’s high-level week will bring together multilateral diplomatic engagements from September 22 to 29.
During the high-level week, when heads of state and government set out their priorities on the global agenda, meetings are planned on rising sea levels, the right to development and pandemic preparedness.
A Trump-Xi meeting is expected in Washington
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to meet in Washington on September 24, 2026. The meeting is expected to be the leaders’ third face-to-face encounter in the past year.
Trade, customs tariffs and U.S.-China economic relations are expected to feature prominently in the meeting. Negotiations on managing trade imbalances and reducing tariffs may also be among the meeting’s main topics.
Technology and security may accompany economic issues
The U.S.-China rivalry over technology and artificial intelligence will also form part of the backdrop to the engagement in Washington. The meeting is therefore expected to proceed within a strategic framework extending beyond trade issues to technology and global security.
The coincidence of UN week in New York and the Trump-Xi meeting in Washington will make the second half of September particularly intense for international diplomacy. While multilateral talks continue in New York, the future of trade and economic relations between the world’s two largest economies will be on the agenda in Washington.
