US President, Donald Trump has hailed his “truly great friendship” with Chinese President Xi Jinping as the two leaders opened highly anticipated talks, with both emphasising the need for cooperation between the world’s two largest economies despite continuing areas of disagreement.
Trump made the remarks as Xi began a state visit focused on strengthening ties between Washington and Beijing and managing tensions surrounding trade, technology, security and other areas of competition.
Speaking alongside Xi and their aides before formal talks, Trump highlighted the relationship he has developed with the Chinese leader since his first election victory in 2016. “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.
The meeting comes as the US and China continue to negotiate over several contentious issues. Beijing has resisted pressure from the Trump administration to use its influence to encourage Iran to accept US terms for ending the nearly seven-month war.
China also wants Washington to permanently halt arms sales to Taiwan and ease restrictions on the export of advanced semiconductor technology.
The two sides nevertheless agreed on Wednesday to extend by two months a one-year trade truce that had been due to expire on November 10, giving negotiators additional time to work towards a longer-term agreement.
Xi adopted a more pointed tone in his opening remarks, stressing the depth of the economic relationship between the two countries and the need to prevent competition from escalating into confrontation.
He said that Chinese and American interests were “deeply intertwined” and argued that competition between the two countries should remain constructive and within limits.
Xi also reiterated concerns over what he called the “Thucydides trap”, a concept describing the risk of conflict when a rising power challenges an established one.
The Chinese leader had raised a similar warning during Trump’s visit to Beijing in May. “It should be a race of catching up with one another, not a wrestle in which one either wins or loses,” Xi said.
Beyond economic and strategic issues, Xi announced a series of people-to-people initiatives during his opening remarks. He said that China would invite 100,000 American young people to visit the country for studies and exchanges over the next five years.
Xi also announced that China would send two pandas to the zoo in Atlanta, describing the animals as an “envoy of friendship” that would meet the American people “in a few days.”
Trump’s administration has placed considerable emphasis on the symbolism surrounding Xi’s visit. The White House completed construction of a new helicopter landing pad on the South Lawn ahead of the Chinese leader’s arrival.
Trump and Xi, accompanied by their spouses, met on Wednesday evening after Xi arrived at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington.
The White House also arranged a military review for the two leaders and their spouses before their Oval Office discussions. First Lady Melania Trump subsequently accompanied Peng Liyuan on a visit to the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art.
The leaders are also scheduled to attend a black-tie dinner at the White House, featuring sea bass and red-themed décor, with a toast honouring former President Richard Nixon.
Nixon’s 1972 visit to China paved the way for the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between Washington and Beijing in 1979 and the simultaneous severing of formal US diplomatic ties with Taiwan.
The leaders’ discussions are also expected to cover artificial intelligence, an increasingly important area of competition between the two countries.
Trump, Xi Put AI Cooperation on Agenda
Artificial intelligence emerged as a key issue in the leaders’ opening remarks, with Trump saying he wanted the technology to remain a significant part of discussions with Xi.
Trump wrote on social media earlier Thursday that “superintelligence”, his preferred term for advanced artificial intelligence, would be high on the agenda amid growing concerns over the technology’s impact on employment and wider risks to society. “I want to leave it exactly where it is,” Trump wrote, adding, “That is China’s position also.”
Xi also addressed artificial intelligence, stressing that Washington and Beijing have a responsibility to ensure that the technology remains under human control.
“We have both the capability and responsibility to develop and manage AI for good and ensure that a development of AI is always under human control and serves the well being of the people.”
Xi Jinping
The comments followed discussions between the two countries’ Finance Ministers earlier in the week, when Washington proposed establishing a new notification mechanism for serious artificial intelligence incidents between the US and China.
The proposed mechanism reflects the broader effort to maintain communication between the two countries as they compete over advanced technologies while seeking to prevent technological rivalry from creating wider economic or security tensions.
For Trump and Xi, the discussions combine longstanding disputes over trade, Taiwan and technology with efforts to maintain engagement between Washington and Beijing.
Their latest meeting comes as both sides attempt to extend the recent trade truce and establish a more durable framework for managing their increasingly consequential economic relationship.
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