US President Donald Trump on Thursday hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House for a high-profile state visit. The visit, Xi’s first to Washington in more than a decade, brought the leaders of the world’s two largest economies together amid continuing disagreements over trade, technology, Taiwan and the war in Iran.
Xi arrived in Washington on Wednesday and was personally received by Trump at Joint Base Andrews. The two presidents later held about 90 minutes of closed-door discussions before attending the state dinner at the White House. The meeting was closely watched because Washington and Beijing remain engaged on several sensitive economic, technological and geopolitical issues.
Thursday’s programme began with an elaborate state arrival ceremony on the White House South Lawn, involving hundreds of military personnel representing the various branches of the US armed forces. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump welcomed Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, before the two leaders proceeded into the White House, where they signed the guest book and delivered remarks.
Trade remains central to discussions as Washington and Beijing continue efforts to preserve an 11-month trade truce reached after earlier tensions between the two economic powers. The United States and China have made varying degrees of progress in implementing commitments reached earlier in the year, including discussions involving agricultural purchases, Boeing aircraft, investment and tariff arrangements.
Artificial intelligence was another important subject in the discussions, reflecting the rapidly expanding competition between the United States and China over advanced technology. Trump said security, technology and what he described as “super intelligence” would feature prominently in the discussions, while Xi called for artificial intelligence to remain under human control.
Taiwan was another major point of difference between Washington and Beijing. China regards Taiwan as part of its territory and has consistently opposed US arms sales to the island. Washington, meanwhile, maintains longstanding commitments relating to Taiwan’s ability to defend itself. Xi urged Washington to exercise prudence over Taiwan and reiterated Beijing’s position against moves toward Taiwanese independence.
The formal discussions were followed by a state dinner at the White House on Thursday evening, hosted by Trump and Melania for Xi and Peng. The dinner formed part of the elaborate programme prepared for Xi’s three-day state visit and provided an opportunity for the two administrations to emphasise the importance of maintaining engagement despite significant disagreements.
Key points
- The US-China relationship remains marked by strategic competition and disagreement despite the ceremonial display surrounding Xi’s visit.
- The two countries continue to compete over technology, trade, military influence and access to critical resources.
- Taiwan remains a particularly sensitive security issue between Washington and Beijing.
