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.
China has resisted the Trump administration's urgings — and economic threats — to use its considerable leverage to prod Iran to agree to US terms to end the nearly seven-month war. Xi wants to see Trump permanently halt arms sales to Taiwan and loosen export restrictions on cutting-edge advanced chips. The two sides on Wednesday agreed to extend by two months a one-year trade truce that was set to expire Nov. 10 as they work to find a more durable agreement.
Xi was more pointed in his remarks, saying Chinese and American interests are "deeply intertwined" and that the "competition should be a healthy one and should be kept within bounds."
He also reiterated his warning that the US and China must avoid the "Thucydides trap," referring to the idea that when a rising power threatens to displace an established one, the result is often war. Xi offered a similar warning when Trump visited 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 added.
Xi also announced that China will invite 100,000 American youth to come to his country for studies and exchanges in the next five years and that China will send two pandas to the zoo in Atlanta. He called the beloved animals an "envoy of friendship" and that they will meet the American people in a "few days."
Xi says China and US should make sure AI is 'always under human control'
Trump said in a social media post earlier Thursday that artificial intelligence — "superintelligence" as he is trying to rebrand it — will be high on the agenda amid growing global anxiety that the technology will kill jobs or potentially even wipe out humanity.
"I want to leave it exactly where it is," Trump wrote. "That is China's position also."
Xi also touched on AI in his opening comments, saying that the two countries had a responsibility to ensure that humans always operate AI.
"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," the Chinese leader said.
The two countries' finance ministers met earlier this week, with the US proposing a new "notification mechanism" for AI incidents between the two nations.
Trump rolls out the red carpet for Xi and faces criticism from some White House allies
Trump has made clear he wants to impress Xi with the visit. The Republican president made sure construction of a new helicopter landing pad on the White House's South Lawn was completed before the visit and he met Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, on Wednesday evening when they flew into Joint Base Andrews outside Washington.
The White House also arranged for an elaborate military review that the leaders and their spouses observed before the Oval Office talks. Following the military review, first lady Melania Trump accompanied Peng for a visit to the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art.
After about 90 minutes of talks, the leaders stepped out to the South Lawn so Trump could show off the new White House helipad and give Xi a tour of Marine One, the presidential helicopter. Trump and Xi also appeared to peer at the ballroom construction site from afar. Xi left the White House shortly after the quick tour and is to return in the evening for the state dinner.
"We had a great meeting," Trump said in a brief exchange with reporters after the tour.
Later, the leaders will dine on sea bass at a black-tie dinner in the White House East Room, featuring red décor and a toast honoring the late President Richard Nixon, whose 1972 trip to China led to the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1979 and the parallel severing of formal ties with Taiwan.
Trump's decision to roll out the red carpet for Xi has spurred criticism from lawmakers in both parties and some White House allies.
"Quite frankly, had the White House asked me for advice, I would have suggested the president not invite Xi Jinping to Washington for such a lavish welcome here in the United States of America based on all of the troubling issues we have with President Xi and the Chinese Communist Party," said Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss.
US and China still have work to do on trade truce
Shortly after Xi's arrival in Washington, Bessent announced on Fox News that the two sides had come to terms on extending the trade truce.
Trump and Xi have incentive to keep the truce alive.
Trump's Republican Party is facing headwinds as they try to maintain control of Congress in November's midterm elections and can hardly afford further economic disruption. Meanwhile, Xi is navigating an uneven Chinese economy — one in which its domestic economy is struggling while its high tech exports remain strong.
'Prudence'
Later, as they met in the Oval Office, Xi urged Trump to show "prudence" and oppose independence for the flashpoint of Taiwan, the self-governing island that Beijing claims.
The Chinese leader -- whose country has reportedly shared intelligence with Tehran -- also urged Trump to end the Iran war "through negotiation as soon as possible."
Few breakthroughs are expected during Xi's state visit. Instead the trip is more about the spectacle as the world's two biggest economies seek manage points of friction.
In the Oval Office, Trump joked that the Chinese had the friendliest press corps.
His comment came days after he barred outlets CNN, MS Now and Politico from the White House -- although they returned on Thursday after a court order.
(With inputs from AP, AFP)
