The general debate of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly will begin at the UN Headquarters in New York on September 22, 2026. The general debate will take place on September 22-26 and September 28, while the UN’s high-level week will host intensive multilateral diplomacy from September 22 to 29.
The high-level week is one of the annual periods of diplomacy during which heads of state and government outline their priorities on the global agenda. In addition to the general debate, high-level meetings are also planned on issues including rising sea levels, the right to development and pandemic preparedness.
Trump-Xi meeting expected in Washington
US 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 two leaders’ third face-to-face encounter in the past year.
Trade, tariffs and US-China economic relations are expected to be at the center of the Trump-Xi meeting. Trade imbalances between the two countries, the management of their economic relations and negotiations on reducing tariffs could form the main framework of the meeting.
Agenda may not be limited to the economy
Competition in technology and artificial intelligence also forms part of the backdrop to contacts between the United States and China. For this reason, the Washington meeting is expected to extend beyond trade issues and take on a strategic framework encompassing technology and global security.
The UN week in New York and the US-China meeting in Washington taking place during the same period will make the second half of September particularly intensive for international diplomacy. While multilateral talks are held in New York, the future of trade and economic relations between the world’s two largest economies will be discussed in Washington.
