China's Xi Jinping is arriving in Seattle to start tense U.S. visit

Protesters rally for Chinese political dissidents before President Xi Jinping's state visit
(Image credit: Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images)

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, land in Seattle on Tuesday morning for a two-day visit that includes stops at Boeing's factory and Microsoft's headquarters. On Thursday, Xi leaves Washington State for Washington, D.C., where he will meet with President Obama before a lavish state dinner on Friday night. It will be tense, The Associated Press notes, since Obama will be raising a toast to the leader of a country his administration accuses of massive cyber-espionage, militarizing the South China Sea, and abusing the human rights of its citizens.

"This is an important moment for one of the world's most vital relationships," The Economist says. "Trust is fading on both sides," and compared with previous Chinese major visits, America is "less optimistic about changing China, and increasingly wary of its growing strength."

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.