US President Donald Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House on Thursday for a lavish state summit that was heavy on symbolism but light on substance, with no sign that a closed-door meeting yielded breakthroughs on thorny issues such as AI, trade, Taiwan and the war with Iran.
During a bilateral discussion in the afternoon, Xi urged the US to oppose "Taiwan independence," according to a readout from the official Chinese news agency Xinhua shortly after it concluded. The White House did not immediately provide its own summary of the talks.
Xi had been expected to press Trump this week to halt arms sales to Taiwan. Following his visit to China in May, Trump said he was holding in abeyance an arms package to Taiwan worth some $14 billion and called it a "very good negotiating chip."
That move left some US allies in Asia and even some of Trump's fellow Republicans concerned that he may be tempted to soften Washington's support for Taipei in exchange for economic wins. China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has not ruled out using force to gain control over the island.
The summit between the two leaders came shortly after Trump forcefully defended his use of military power in a speech at the UN earlier this week, suggesting he could "annihilate" Iran. He took a strikingly different tone with Xi on Thursday, reflecting a power balance that has shifted toward the Chinese leader after a trade war that ended with a US climbdown on tariffs.
In remarks after Xi's arrival on Thursday, Trump emphasized his "truly great friendship" with Xi, rather than focusing on policy differences, and said the two powers had made strides on trade since his trip to China in May.
"During this visit, we will also discuss pressing issues concerning security, technology, and 'super intelligence,'" Trump said, using his alternative name for artificial intelligence.
In somewhat more pointed remarks, Xi said the two countries' interests were deeply intertwined and that competition between them should be a "healthy one." US companies were welcome in China, he said, adding that he hopes "Chinese companies are treated fairly here in the United States."
Xi also said both militaries should maintain regular dialogue to improve crisis prevention.
Edgard Kagan, a former senior White House official for East Asia, said the contrasting rhetoric demonstrates the different strategy of each leader.
"The president is casting it very much as about his personal relationship with Xi," said Kagan, now with the Center for Strategic and International Studies. "What I found interesting was Xi is being much more cautious and suggesting that it's less about the personal relationship than the national relationship."
The summit, Xi's first visit to Washington in more than a decade, is the second meeting this year between the leaders of the world's two biggest economies.
POMP AND CIRCUMSTANCE
For Trump, who relishes ceremony and prizes his ties with powerful leaders, the visit is as much a matter of national prestige as an opportunity for high-stakes diplomacy.
But Trump and Xi's remarks were not carried live by any US television networks, which refused to provide footage in protest of the White House's ban of CNN, MS Now and Politico.
Trump greeted Xi on arrival on Wednesday evening with a red carpet on the tarmac, the first time a US president has welcomed a foreign leader at Joint Base Andrews since President Barack Obama met Pope Francis in 2015, according to C-SPAN.
Following their remarks on Thursday, the two leaders observed a military ceremony including a flyover at the Rose Garden. After their closed-door meeting, Trump gave Xi a tour of the new helipad he had recently constructed on the White House's South Lawn.
"He loves good granite," Trump told reporters, adding that the two men had a "great meeting" without elaborating.
Trump's embrace of Xi could complicate his campaign message at home ahead of November's midterm elections, when Republicans' narrow congressional majorities are at stake as voters fret about inflation and the war on Iran.
The president for months has labeled Democrats "communists" in an effort to paint them as too extreme, but he welcomed Xi, the head of the Chinese Communist Party, as a dear personal friend, with Chinese flags adorning the roof above the Oval Office alongside US flags.
BREAKTHROUGHS UNLIKELY
Despite the fanfare, major breakthroughs appeared unlikely, analysts said.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News on Wednesday after talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng that they had agreed to extend until January 10 an agreement pausing their trade war.
Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Thursday morning that the two leaders would discuss "super intelligence" but again indicated little interest in new regulations, despite concerns from industry leaders that AI could eventually pose a threat to humans.
"Super Intelligence (SI) will be a big topic of discussion, but I want to leave it exactly where it is," Trump wrote. "That is China's position also."
During his comments on Thursday, Xi said both countries must "ensure that the development of AI is always under human control."
Analysts say intense competition between the two powers in AI is likely to limit the scope for anything beyond symbolic agreements.
KEEPING TIES STABLE
People familiar with the plans say the talks could also yield deals to lower some tariffs, combat drug trafficking and expand military-to-military dialogue, while Trump is expected to seek the release of Americans and others detained in China.
Xi appears to be in a stronger position, having overseen a surge in China's trade and firmly in control of supplies of rare earth minerals that give him powerful leverage.
Both leaders see advantages in keeping relations stable, with Trump mired in the unpopular Iran war and Xi grappling with domestic economic challenges.
But beneath the surface are challenges that could reignite tensions, including disputes over Taiwan, export controls, AI and the war with Iran, a Chinese ally.
There has been little sign Beijing is willing to exert pressure on Iran to yield to US demands. During Thursday's meeting, Xi expressed support for the US and Iran to return to a ceasefire and eventually negotiate a peace deal, Xinhua reported.
The guest list for Thursday's state dinner includes CEOs like Apple's Tim Cook, Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Alphabet's Sundar Pichai, OpenAI's Sam Altman, Tesla's Elon Musk and Nvidia's Jensen Huang. Despite such an array, people familiar with US plans say Trump is likely to maintain firm export controls on US tech Xi wants loosened.
