US President Donald Trump has hailed his "truly great friendship" with Chinese President Xi Jinping as the two leaders opened high-stakes talks at the White House on Thursday, with artificial intelligence, trade, Taiwan and Iran among the issues on the agenda.
Trump gave his counterpart a lavish welcome. Although the two leaders have many thorny issues to discuss, he focused on their long relationship as they gathered with aides for opening remarks before formal talks.
"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 said the talks would also cover "pressing issues", including artificial intelligence (AI). "During this visit, we will also discuss pressing issues concerning security, technology, and super intelligence -- SI. The decisions we make in these areas today can promote peace and prosperity for decades and decades to come," he said.
In a social media post on Thursday, Trump said AI – or "superintelligence", as he is trying to rebrand it – would be high on the agenda amid growing global anxiety that the technology could destroy jobs or even wipe out humanity. "I want to leave it exactly where it is," he wrote. "That is China's position also."
For his part, Xi said the world's two biggest economies had a shared responsibility to advance human development. "China and the United States, as two major countries, shoulder a historic responsibility of advancing human development and progress," he said at the White House.
"We should strengthen communication," Xi added.
He said the rivals should steer clear of conflict and confrontation.
"China and the United States must hold the line on maintaining no conflict and no confrontation between us," he said, adding: "Our two militaries should maintain regular dialog and improve mechanisms for crisis communication and prevention."
Xi said the "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," he added.
The Chinese leader also touched on AI, saying the two countries had a duty to ensure humans always remained in charge of the technology.
"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," he said.
Xi also said two giant pandas would be heading to Atlanta soon, following an announcement earlier this year of a new conservation deal. "In a few days, two pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, will come to their new home in Zoo Atlanta and meet with the American people," he said.
The two leaders have no shortage of difficult subjects to cover in their private talks. China has resisted the Trump administration's urgings – and economic threats – to use its considerable leverage to press Iran to accept US terms to end the nearly seven-month war.
Xi wants Trump to permanently halt arms sales to Taiwan and to loosen export restrictions on cutting-edge advanced chips.
On Wednesday, the two sides agreed to extend by two months a one-year trade truce that had been due to expire on November 10, as they work towards a more durable agreement. Their finance ministers also met earlier this week, with the US proposing a new "notification mechanism" for AI incidents between the two nations.
(With inputs from AFP and AP)