Trump and Xi exchange pleasantries, pandas as White House blocks journalists

Washington: News outlets CNN, MS NOW and Politico were allowed back into the White House after a judge ruled President Donald Trump’s ban on their entry was likely unconstitutional and must be temporarily lifted.

But the outlets did not regain entry until about noon on Thursday (2am Friday AEST), after Trump and Xi Jinping began their high-stakes bilateral meeting on the Chinese leader’s first White House visit since 2015.

There were no cameras from the main US television networks present as Trump welcomed Xi to the premises, with the news outlets continuing a boycott in solidarity with CNN.

Xi’s arrival was broadcast on the White House’s official social media channel. A select group of print reporters and photographers, known as the daily “pool”, was present – along with Chinese state media.

Fox News was using an aerial shot of the White House and file footage when discussing the summit, while also covering other news stories.

Phone footage from reporters in the pool showed there was a loud and sustained disagreement between the American photographers, Chinese photographers and the Secret Service about where the Chinese group could set up their cameras while awaiting Xi’s arrival.

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan to the White House.AP Photo/Alex BrandonJudge Timothy Kelly ruled late on Wednesday (US time) that Trump’s ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico was likely unconstitutional, and blocked the White House from enforcing it for 14 days.

But journalists from those the three outlets were still unable to access the White House on Thursday morning.

They lodged a request for an emergency hearing with the court. That request, seen by this masthead, said Secret Service agents had also “confiscated the hard passes of journalists whose hard passes had not previously been confiscated”.

Trump had enacted the ban on Saturday due to his objections to the three outlets’ reporting, though he said there was no particular trigger for it other than his accusations of “fake news”.

CNN reporter Betsy Klein regained access to the White House at about midday on Thursday.AP Photo/Alex BrandonBut at about noon, reporters from the affected outlets regained access to the White House grounds. Their passes were reactivated while a bilateral meeting between Trump and Xi was already under way.

Following the arrival ceremony, Trump and Xi delivered statements in the Grand Foyer of the White House, which were also broadcast on the White House’s official social media feed, but not on US television networks.

Trump noted there had been many physical changes at the White House since Xi’s last visit in 2015, and praised his “truly great friendship” with the Chinese leader.

In relatively brief remarks, Trump spoke in broad terms about efforts to create “a more balanced trade relationship” between the world’s two largest economies, and doubled down on his attempt to rebrand artificial intelligence “super intelligence”.

US President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping meet in the Oval Office.AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin“If we focus on our common interests, I am confident there is much we can achieve,” he said.

Xi spoke for longer, and made numerous observations and recommendations about particular policy areas – including American market access for Chinese firms.

“China keeps its door wide open, welcomes American companies wanting to invest and do business there. We hope Chinese companies are treated fairly here in the United States,” he said.

On AI, Xi said both countries had the capability and responsibility to ensure development was “always under human control” and served the wellbeing of people.

Both countries would gain from co-operation and lose from confrontation, he said. He once again invoked the Thucydides Trap, which describes the high risk of war when a rising power starts displacing an existing power.

“The Thucydides Trap can be overcome,” Xi said. “China-US co-operation may not solve every problem in the world, but without our co-operation, it would be hard to solve many of the world’s problems.”

Xi raised the possibility of further co-operation on fentanyl, increasing direct flights between the two nations and his new invitation for 100,000 American students to undertake exchange in China over the next five years.

Two Chinese pandas – male Ping Ping and female Fu Shuang – would also arrive at Zoo Atlanta shortly, Xi said, as part of China’s diplomacy efforts.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said he hoped Chinese businesses would be treated fairly in the United States.Bloomberg“Achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making America great again can go hand in hand,” he said, a reference to Trump’s main political slogan.

After the speeches, the leaders and their wives watched a US military review and flyover. Trump and Xi proceeded to a bilateral meeting, while the First Lady and Madam Peng travelled to the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art.

On Thursday night, they will attend a state dinner organised by the First Lady. The menu, designed to showcase “American ingredients with subtle Chinese influence”, includes a yellow squash velouté with wild mushrooms, sesame crusted sea bass with baby bok choy and a vanilla crémeux with sour cherry confit centre.

Entertainment will come from tenor Christopher Macchio, who performed at Trump’s 2025 inauguration.

US President Donald Trump and China’s President Xi Jinping walk along the Colonnade of the White House.AP Photo/Jacquelyn MartinGet a note directly from our foreign correspondents on what’s making headlines around the world. Sign up for our weekly What in the World newsletter.

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