Trump takes Xi to National Archives as state visit ends without breakthroughs
US President Donald Trump is set to take Chinese President Xi Jinping to the National Archives on Friday, in a symbolic end to Xi's three-day state visit to Washington. The visit, criticised for being heavy on pomp and light on substance, will include a viewing of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
Throughout the visit, Trump and Xi have projected harmony between the world's two largest economies. However, there were no major breakthroughs on key issues such as trade and the safety of artificial intelligence.
The visit comes as the US marks the 250th anniversary of its founding. Trump said on Thursday that he wanted to show Xi "some of the greatest treasures of that proud history".
The National Archives is hosting a special exhibit for the anniversary, titled "The American Story". It highlights the country's achievements and advances, while also including images of its darker moments.
Trump had already shown Xi one copy of the Declaration of Independence on Thursday. It was a wall-mounted copy that the US president keeps in the Oval Office.
Trump also said he wanted to show Xi artefacts related to ties between the two countries. "Just as our ancestors reached across the ocean centuries ago to trade, to learn, and to build a better world, our two countries do really the same thing, and we're very proud of it," he said.
Xi's day was due to begin at the White House, where Trump and first lady Melania Trump were to host Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, for tea.
On Thursday night, the Trumps hosted a black-tie state dinner for their guests, attended by technology industry leaders. Earlier in the day, Trump gave Xi a personal tour of some of the changes he has made at the White House, including a gallery wall of presidents and a new 100-foot-long granite helicopter landing pad, and also pointed out his ballroom, which is still under construction. Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan visited the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art.
The two leaders also held a 90-minute closed-door meeting on Thursday. According to the official Chinese government readout, they discussed the Middle East, Ukraine and the Korean Peninsula. The White House has not yet released details of the private talks.
Xi was expected to leave Washington after the National Archives tour, ending a state visit marked by ceremonial events, displays of goodwill and talks that produced no major advances on the main issues between the two countries.
