Trump-Xi summit begins with great fanfare but low expectations
Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump watch as the U.S. Army Drill Team passes in review during a state visit welcoming ceremony at the White House in Washington DC on Thursday. Xi is on a three-day state visit to the U.S. and will hold talks with U.S. officials on tariffs, AI, and other issues. UPI-Yonhap
WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House on Thursday for a lavish state summit expected to be heavy on symbolism but light on substance, with both leaders keen to showcase stable ties despite a host of thorny issues such as AI, trade, Taiwan and the war with Iran.
The subject of Taiwan, perhaps the most difficult, came up during a bilateral meeting in which Xi urged the U.S. 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 readout of the discussion.
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."
The move left some U.S. 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 with China. China has long asserted territorial ownership of Taiwan, a democratically governed island that relies on U.S. power to counter Beijing's threats. Despite backing Taiwan, the U.S. has traditionally avoided taking an official stance on the island's independence.
Earlier on Thursday at the White House, Trump touted his "truly great friendship" with Xi 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. "The decisions we make in these areas today can promote peace and prosperity for decades and decades to come."
Speaking after Trump, Xi said the competition between the U.S. and China should be a "healthy one." U.S. 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.
"The Thucydides trap can be overcome," he said, referring to the academic theory that sees a risk of rivalry between a rising and an established power spiraling into open conflict.
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. The U.S. president aimed to reciprocate the grand welcome he received in China in May.
But Trump and Xi's remarks were not carried live by any U.S. television networks, which have collectively declined 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 U.S. president has welcomed a foreign leader at Joint Base Andrews since President Barack Obama met Pope Francis in 2015, according to C-SPAN, which tracks presidential events.
Following their remarks on Thursday, the two leaders observed a military ceremony including a flyover at the Rose Garden, with Chinese flags waving from the Oval Office roof alongside U.S. flags, before a scheduled bilateral meeting.
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.
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, on Thursday as a dear personal friend.
Breakthroughs unlikely
Despite the fanfare, analysts say major breakthroughs are unlikely, with tangible outcomes potentially limited to an extension of a trade truce expiring in November and an agreement to examine threats posed by artificial intelligence.
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 that paused a trade war that saw mutual tariffs top 100%.
Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Thursday morning that the two leaders would discuss "super intelligence" but again indicated he has little interest in imposing 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 have "the capability and responsibility to develop and manage AI for good, and 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 and AI.
Taiwan, a democratically governed island claimed by China, is the most contentious issue.
U.S. allies in Asia are concerned Trump may be tempted to soften Washington's support for Taipei to lock in economic wins with China.
Xi is expected to press Trump to halt Taiwan arms sales and could do this during a planned visit by the two to the U.S. National Archives on Friday, sources who were briefed on the issue told Reuters. In return, China is offering help to put pressure on Iran, the sources added.
After the May summit, Trump said he was holding in abeyance an arms package to Taiwan worth some $14 billion and called it a "very good negotiating chip."
The leaders will likely discuss the Iran war, but there has been little sign Beijing is willing to exert pressure on its ally to yield to U.S. demands.
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, but despite such an array, people familiar with U.S. plans say Trump is likely to maintain firm export controls on U.S. tech Xi wants loosened.