Former U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed he will visit China in April 2026, while Chinese President Xi Jinping is slated to travel to the United States later in the year, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent predicting up to four bilateral meetings over the course of 2026. (m.economictimes.com) The announcement, made on the sidelines of a Washington policy forum, signals a renewed willingness for face-to-face engagement after months of heightened trade and technology tensions.
For global-mobility and corporate-travel teams the news is more than diplomatic theatre: leader-level visits typically trigger parallel ‘Track II’ dialogues, CEO roundtables and large business delegations that strain premium-class seat inventory and hotel capacity in host cities. Travel analysts are already advising multinational clients with spring itineraries for Beijing, Shanghai or Shenzhen to secure accommodation and in-country transport early, as security lockdowns and traffic restrictions often accompany such state visits.
Companies scrambling to secure travel documents for executives don’t have to navigate shifting requirements alone. Specialist provider VisaHQ, for instance, maintains a real-time China portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) that streamlines visa applications, schedules biometrics, and coordinates courier pick-ups for passports—freeing corporate travel teams to focus on itinerary strategy rather than paperwork.
![Trump Sets April Trip to China as Leaders Plan Four Summits in 2026]()
The trip will be Trump’s first to China since his return to office. Sources in the U.S. business community expect the agenda to include negotiations on restoring reciprocal 10-year multiple-entry visas for executives—a programme suspended during the pandemic—and expanding slots for U.S. airlines at Beijing Daxing. If agreed, those measures could materially ease mobility friction for companies with trans-Pacific operations.
Chinese ministries typically roll out facilitation measures around high-profile summits—waiving visa fees for U.S. journalists, extending port e-gate access to visiting delegates, and issuing temporary licences for exhibition cargo. Mobility managers should monitor embassy advisories for special channels that can expedite paperwork for accompanying staff and family members.
Conversely, security-driven tightening is possible on both sides. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security may increase secondary screening for Chinese officials, while Beijing’s Public Security Bureau could restrict drone and GPS device imports during the visit window. Contingency planning—such as alternative routing via Hong Kong or Seoul and buffer days for potential delays—will be essential for travellers operating near summit venues.
For global-mobility and corporate-travel teams the news is more than diplomatic theatre: leader-level visits typically trigger parallel ‘Track II’ dialogues, CEO roundtables and large business delegations that strain premium-class seat inventory and hotel capacity in host cities. Travel analysts are already advising multinational clients with spring itineraries for Beijing, Shanghai or Shenzhen to secure accommodation and in-country transport early, as security lockdowns and traffic restrictions often accompany such state visits.
Companies scrambling to secure travel documents for executives don’t have to navigate shifting requirements alone. Specialist provider VisaHQ, for instance, maintains a real-time China portal (https://www.visahq.com/china/) that streamlines visa applications, schedules biometrics, and coordinates courier pick-ups for passports—freeing corporate travel teams to focus on itinerary strategy rather than paperwork.
The trip will be Trump’s first to China since his return to office. Sources in the U.S. business community expect the agenda to include negotiations on restoring reciprocal 10-year multiple-entry visas for executives—a programme suspended during the pandemic—and expanding slots for U.S. airlines at Beijing Daxing. If agreed, those measures could materially ease mobility friction for companies with trans-Pacific operations.
Chinese ministries typically roll out facilitation measures around high-profile summits—waiving visa fees for U.S. journalists, extending port e-gate access to visiting delegates, and issuing temporary licences for exhibition cargo. Mobility managers should monitor embassy advisories for special channels that can expedite paperwork for accompanying staff and family members.
Conversely, security-driven tightening is possible on both sides. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security may increase secondary screening for Chinese officials, while Beijing’s Public Security Bureau could restrict drone and GPS device imports during the visit window. Contingency planning—such as alternative routing via Hong Kong or Seoul and buffer days for potential delays—will be essential for travellers operating near summit venues.
