Trump, Xi discuss AI, Iran war and trade at White House summit
US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks at the White House on Tuesday, discussing a range of issues including artificial intelligence, the Iran war and market access for farmers. After the meeting, Trump said he wanted to work with Xi to build "a better future" for both countries.
The visit combined ceremony with substantive talks, and also came against the backdrop of ongoing trade discussions between the two sides. Xi used his opening remarks to push for peaceful coexistence, broader cooperation and controlled competition, while Chinese media said he also raised Taiwan as a red line.
After a ceremonial welcome at the South Portico of the White House, brief opening remarks and a military review in the Rose Garden, Trump and Xi, along with their delegations, held substantive talks in the Oval Office. Earlier, Trump and First Lady Melania received Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, as a military band played. The Chinese leader arrived in a black Hongqi N701 SUV, and the two couples briefly stood together on a red carpet before heading inside.
In his opening remarks, Trump said he and Xi had forged a "truly great friendship" since his first election in 2016, built on mutual respect and the vital interest of their people. Recalling America’s role in World War II, he said, "Just as our people worked together to win that war, President Xi and I will continue working together to forge a better future for both of our nations." Later, after the talks, Trump told reporters, "We had a great meeting." He was then seen taking Xi for a walk on the new helipad at the South Lawn of the White House and to the under-construction ballroom.
The two leaders were also seen walking to the Marine One helicopter, boarding it and then getting off after a while. Xi left at 1:29 pm local time, with Trump waving to him as he entered his car. No major US television network aired live footage of the Trump-Xi meeting or the White House ceremonies.
Xi said he was visiting the US at Trump’s invitation "to carry on our friendship, expand cooperation, and promote the well-being of both our peoples". He added, "We should coexist in peace. As I have said many times, China and the United States, as two major countries, stand to gain from cooperation and will both lose in confrontation." Referring to the so-called Thucydides Trap, the theory that a rising power and an established power are likely to go to war, Xi said the two countries should avoid such an outcome.
"We do not need to avoid mentioning competition, but our 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 when either wins, or loses," Xi said. He added, "China and the US must hold the line of no conflict and no confrontation between us. We can certainly find the right path for our two great countries to get along on this planet. Our two militaries should maintain regular dialogue and improve mechanisms for crisis communication and prevention. The Thucydides Trap can be overcome."
On artificial intelligence, Xi said the two countries had a duty to keep humans in control of the technology. "We have both the capability and responsibility to develop and manage AI for good and ensure that the development of AI is always under human control and serves the well-being of the people," he said. According to Chinese media, Xi urged Trump to turn the vision of a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability into action. The reports said he also reiterated that Taiwan was a red line and expressed hope that the US would oppose "Taiwan independence" and handle the issue prudently. Xi also said China’s position on safeguarding its national unity and territorial integrity was crystal clear.
Separately, Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan toured the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art. Earlier this week, the two countries’ finance ministers met, with the US proposing a new notification mechanism for AI incidents between the two nations. Ahead of the Trump-Xi summit, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the two sides had agreed to extend the trade truce reached last year in South Korea. He said Trump and Xi could either reach a broader agreement by January or decide to extend the truce again.
During last year’s trade battle, peak baseline US tariffs reached 145 per cent, matched by China’s reciprocal levies of 125 per cent. After Trump and Xi met in South Korea last year, the average US tariff rate fell to about 47 per cent, while China’s average rate was in the mid-30s. In February, however, the US Supreme Court overturned many of Trump’s tariffs, leading to greater variation in taxes on Chinese goods. Taken together, the White House meeting mixed symbolism, sharp messaging and ongoing negotiations over trade, security and technology.
