President Donald Trump is welcoming Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House on Thursday for the first state visit between the two nations in more than ten years. The high-stakes diplomatic encounter comes amid a fragile calm in U.S.-China relations, characterized by an extended tariff truce, intensifying rivalry in artificial intelligence, and ongoing geopolitical tensions regarding Ukraine and Taiwan.
Xi arrived Wednesday evening at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, where he was greeted by President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump. The welcome included a flyover by F-16 and F-22 fighter jets, followed by a 21-gun salute. The formal schedule for Thursday features a military arrival ceremony on the South Lawn with B-2 Spirit and F-22 Raptors, bilateral talks in the Oval Office, and a state dinner in the East Room.
A significant portion of the discussion is expected to center on advanced technology. On social media Thursday morning, Trump stated that Super Intelligence (SI) would be a major topic, adding, “I want to leave it exactly where it is. That is China’s position also. Our guardrail is the DOJ!” This follows recent comments where Trump told world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly that “whoever wins AI, wins,” signaling a resistance to regulatory constraints despite growing global calls for safeguards.
White House officials confirmed that AI safety protocols are on the agenda. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent recently revealed that the United States has proposed a notification system to China to alert both sides of AI incidents affecting national security. However, the administration continues to maintain trade restrictions on advanced computer chips, though exceptions have been made allowing companies like Nvidia to sell certain chips to approved customers.
On the economic front, Trump and Xi are navigating a two-month extension of the tariff truce originally agreed upon in Busan, South Korea, last fall. Treasury Secretary Bessent noted that Chinese officials have proposed a broader trade deal beyond the current temporary arrangement. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer indicated that a new U.S.-China “Board of Trade” may be established to protect specific goods from future disputes.
The geopolitical landscape remains complex. Trump recently dismissed reports linking Chinese satellite imagery to a recent Iranian strike in Jordan, instead stating that Xi has “behaved reasonably well.” Meanwhile, tensions persist over Taiwan, which Beijing views as essential to its reunification goals. During a previous meeting in May, Xi reportedly warned Trump of potential conflicts if the Taiwan issue is not managed properly.
The state dinner will feature prominent figures from the technology and finance sectors, including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon, OpenAI’s Chris Lehane, and JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon. Trump described the guest list as representing the “entire tech world” and the banking industry. Following the dinner, the leaders will hold tea on Friday morning before Xi and his wife depart for China.
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Is anyone else concerned about the lack of serious safety guardrails? The DOJ comment feels dangerously vague for such powerful technology.
Finally, a proper state visit after so long. Let’s hope this leads to actual progress on the chip export rules, not just photo ops.
Wait, Trump wants to keep AI ‘where it is’ but also says whoever wins AI wins? Seems like a contradictory stance to me.
Interesting to see tech CEOs at the state dinner. AI policy will likely be shaped by who sits at that table more than the diplomats.