Xi Jinping arrived at the White House with his wife, Peng Liyuan, where Trump and First Lady Melania Trump welcomed them with a military band and the flags of the United States and China. The two leaders shook hands and posed for photographs before beginning their talks.
Speaking at the start of the meeting, Xi called for stronger communication and cooperation between Washington and Beijing, saying that the two countries should maintain candid, in-depth and sustained dialogue to better understand each other, manage differences and build mutual trust.
Xi said China and the United States are both major countries with great people and expressed his willingness to continue friendship and cooperation with Trump while working for the wellbeing of people in both countries.
He said the interests of China and the US are deeply interconnected and that many global challenges would be difficult to address without cooperation between the two countries.
The Chinese president also warned against confrontation, saying that China and the United States could both benefit from cooperation, while “both will lose in confrontation.”
He called for peaceful coexistence and urged the two militaries to maintain regular communication and improve mechanisms for crisis communication and prevention.
Xi also referred to the “Thucydides Trap,” saying that the risk could be overcome through appropriate communication and mutual trust between the two countries.
The term generally refers to the risk of conflict that can arise when a rising power challenges an established major power. The concept was developed by Harvard political scientist Graham Allison based on the ancient Greek historian Thucydides’ account of the rivalry between Athens and Sparta.
Artificial intelligence was another important issue. Xi said China and the United States have significant capabilities in AI and should cooperate to ensure the technology is used for human welfare and remains subject to human oversight.
Xi also said China remains open to US companies and expressed hope that Chinese companies would receive fair treatment in the United States.
Trump, meanwhile, praised his relationship with Xi, saying he was proud of the US-China relationship.
The US president said the two sides had made significant progress on issues facing their countries and were working toward a “more balanced trading relationship,” including greater market access for American farmers and ranchers in China.
Trump also said security, technology and AI would be among the issues discussed during the meeting.
The meeting comes amid continued strategic and economic competition between Washington and Beijing, particularly over trade, technology and artificial intelligence.
The two sides have nevertheless continued diplomatic engagement aimed at preventing further escalation and maintaining their fragile trade truce.
During his visit, Xi also invited 100,000 American students to visit China over the next five years for educational exchanges, according to reports.
Chinese and pro-US as well as anti-China demonstrators were also present around the White House during the leaders’ meeting, although the groups were kept apart and no major confrontation was reported.
The Trump-Xi meeting is expected to cover a broader range of issues, including trade, AI, security, Taiwan and other international matters.
