WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump is welcoming Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House Thursday for high-stakes talks on trade, technology and security, as the two powers seek to steady relations despite deep rivalry.
Xi’s visit marks his first trip to Washington in more than a decade and the second meeting between the two leaders this year. Trump welcomed Xi at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday evening before the formal state visit.
Xi said China and the United States should be “partners, not rivals” and called for a more stable relationship between the two countries.
Trade truce drives summit talks
Trade is expected to be one of the most immediate areas of discussion, with both sides looking to extend a tariff truce set to expire in November.
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said after talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng that the two countries had agreed to extend the arrangement until Jan. 10. The agreement previously helped pause a trade war in which mutual tariffs had topped 100%.
The talks could also produce agreements involving agriculture, non-tariff trade barriers, drug trafficking and expanded military-to-military communication. Trump is also expected to seek the release of Americans and other foreign nationals detained in China.
Taiwan stays at heart of tensions
Economic cooperation is likely to be balanced by disagreements over Taiwan, technology and regional security.
China claims Taiwan as part of its territory, while the self-governing island maintains its own elected government. Xi is expected to press Trump over U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, while Washington is expected to weigh the broader strategic implications of its policy toward Taipei.
The leaders are also expected to discuss the war in Iran and its impact on energy supplies and global trade. China has shown little indication that it will pressure its ally, Iran, to meet U.S. demands.
AI cooperation meets tech rivalry
Artificial intelligence is another potential area for cooperation, particularly over risks involving national security, economic competition and military technology.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has discussed the possibility of creating a communication channel similar to the Cold War-era hotline to help prevent dangerous incidents involving AI.
Still, the two countries remain fierce competitors in advanced technology. Trump is expected to maintain restrictions on the export of sensitive U.S. technology to China, limiting the scope for broader AI cooperation.
Trump rolls out high-profile welcome
Trump has planned an elaborate welcome for Xi, reflecting the importance both leaders place on the summit’s symbolism.
The state dinner guest list includes Apple CEO Tim Cook, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.
The summit gives Trump and Xi an opportunity to project stable ties while tackling disputes that continue to shape the U.S.-China relationship, including trade, Taiwan, technology and global security.
