WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House on Thursday for a high-stakes state visit marked by rhetoric of friendship alongside pointed discussions on global security and trade.
During an arrival ceremony in the Grand Foyer, Trump highlighted the longevity of his relationship with his Chinese counterpart. “From the time of my first election in 2016, President Xi and I have forged a friendship, a truly great friendship, actually, built on mutual respect and the vital interests of our people,” Trump said. He noted the historic nature of the visit, as Xi is the first Chinese leader to make a second formal state visit to the United States, having last visited in 2015 during the Obama administration.
The bilateral meeting is expected to cover critical issues including artificial intelligence safety, the situation in Taiwan, trade dynamics, critical minerals, and the ongoing conflict involving Iran. While Trump did not explicitly mention Iran during his remarks, the topic remains a focal point as China continues to offer support to Tehran.
In response, Xi Jinping thanked the U.S. for its hospitality but quickly shifted the tone to emphasize the necessity of competition. According to a consecutive translation of his speech, Xi stated, “We do not need to avoid mentioning competition, but our competition should be a healthy one and should be kept within bounds. It should be a race of catching up with one another, not a wrestle in which one either wins or loses.”
Xi also addressed the tit-for-tat trade war between the two nations, stressing that Chinese companies must be “treated fairly” in the United States. “China-U.S. cooperation may not solve every problem in the world, but without our cooperation, it would be hard to solve many of the world’s problems,” Xi said, adding that Beijing welcomes American investment.
Both leaders also touched upon the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence. Xi declared that both nations have the duty to ensure AI development remains under human control and serves public well-being. Trump echoed the importance of these discussions, noting that decisions made now could promote peace and prosperity for decades.
Adding a moment of levity, Xi announced that two giant pandas, named Ping-Ping and Fu Shuang, would soon arrive at Zoo Atlanta, a move that drew a smile from the president. The gesture follows a tradition of pandas serving as diplomatic envoys between the two countries.
Later in the evening, Trump and First Lady Melania Trump hosted a state dinner in the East Room for Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan. The guest list featured prominent figures from the technology and finance sectors, including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Citi CEO Jane Fraser, and former Apple CEO Tim Cook.
The visit is scheduled to continue on Friday with a private tea and a tour of the National Archives, after which Xi is expected to depart the United States.
Surprised by the emphasis on mutual respect. Did they discuss Taiwan at all, or just sidestep it?
“Healthy competition” sounds nice, but trade tensions haven’t really eased. Skeptical about real progress here.
Interesting that so many tech CEOs were at the dinner. Who exactly is shaping the future of AI regulation?
Pandas as diplomacy? Classic. Hope the AI safety talk actually leads to binding agreements.