US President Donald Trump welcomed Chinese leader Xi Jinping to the White House on Thursday with a lavish ceremony, marking a significant moment in the fragile relationship between the two superpowers. The event featured a formal welcome on the White House South Lawn, a military flyover, and talks in the Oval Office. The meeting aimed to maintain the broader detente between the two nations despite underlying tensions on issues such as trade, artificial intelligence, and Beijing's support for Iran.
Xi Jinping arrived at Joint Base Andrews near Washington on Wednesday, where he was personally greeted by Trump, the first time in over six decades that a US president has welcomed a foreign leader at the base. The Chinese president urged cooperation, stating that China and the US should be "partners rather than rivals." He expressed his desire for in-depth exchanges with Trump on major issues concerning bilateral relations and the global situation.
The visit included a trade truce announcement by US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Wednesday, extending a two-month trade truce that was set to expire in November. Both nations are keen to avoid a trade war sparked by Trump's global tariffs last year. However, despite Trump's claims of a "great relationship" with Xi, few breakthroughs are expected from the meeting.
The program for Xi's visit included a military inspection in the Rose Garden and a gift-giving ceremony involving Trump's wife Melania and Xi's wife Peng Liyuan. Trump and Xi made remarks in the morning and evening, although it was unclear if reporters would have the opportunity to question them. The state dinner featured top US tech and AI company bosses, but Xi's delegation included no CEOs.
Trump set the tone for the visit on Wednesday with a "great greeting" for Xi at Joint Base Andrews. He described the meeting as a "great little meeting, a great greeting," and expressed optimism about the talks. Trump confirmed that the stalled Iran war and artificial intelligence would be on the agenda, despite earlier playing down reports of Beijing's support for Tehran.
Artificial intelligence dominated the summit amid growing concerns about its potential risks and the competition between China and the US in the field. Taiwan was also on the agenda, with Trump's words being closely watched for any sign of diminishing US support for the self-governing island that Beijing claims as its territory.
Xi's visit concluded on Friday morning with the two presidential couples having tea at the White House and visiting the National Archives, home to the US Declaration of Independence. The visit aimed to maintain the fragile peace between the two superpowers, but underlying tensions remained on issues such as trade, AI, and Iran.
Key points
- US President Donald Trump hosts Chinese leader Xi Jinping at the White House for a day of pageantry and talks on trade, AI, and Iran.
- The visit aimed to maintain the broader detente between the two nations despite underlying tensions on issues such as trade and artificial intelligence.
- The meeting included a trade truce announcement and discussions on artificial intelligence and Taiwan.
