Chinese President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump have called for greater cooperation and peaceful management of tensions between the world’s two largest economies as Xi began a high-profile state visit to the White House.
Xi on Thursday urged Washington and Beijing to manage their rivalry responsibly, stressing the need to keep artificial intelligence under human control as the two leaders held talks on a range of sensitive issues.
Trump welcomed Xi with a formal ceremony at the White House, including a military flyover, talks in the Oval Office and a state dinner.
The US president described his relationship with Xi as a “truly great friendship”, saying the two leaders had made progress on issues affecting their countries since Trump returned to office.
“Working together, President Xi and I have made tremendous strides on the issues facing our two countries,” Trump said.
He said their discussions would also cover “pressing issues concerning security, technology, and super intelligence – SI.”
Xi, however, adopted a more cautious tone on artificial intelligence, saying both countries had a responsibility to ensure that its development remained beneficial to humanity.
“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,” Xi said at the White House.
He said the United States and China had a “historic responsibility of advancing human development and progress” and urged both sides to strengthen communication.
Xi also announced that China would send a pair of pandas to a zoo in the United States, continuing a longstanding tradition of panda diplomacy.
Despite the warm reception, few major breakthroughs are expected from the visit as Washington and Beijing continue to navigate disagreements over trade, technology, security and foreign policy.
Trump personally welcomed Xi at the airport on Wednesday, marking the first time in more than six decades that a US president had received a foreign head of state in person at Joint Base Andrews near Washington.
The formal White House welcome on Thursday preceded a series of meetings and ceremonial events during the state visit.
Trump had earlier described Xi as looking “strong, vibrant, and fit” following recent speculation about the Chinese leader’s health.
Behind the diplomatic display, however, the two countries remain divided over several major issues, including their trade dispute and Beijing’s diplomatic and economic relationship with Iran.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on Wednesday a two-month extension of a trade truce that had been due to expire in November.
The extension is intended to prevent a renewed escalation of the trade conflict triggered by Trump’s sweeping global tariffs last year.
Trump also confirmed that Iran would feature in his discussions with Xi, although he had previously played down reports that Beijing was providing Tehran with intelligence.
“I’ll be talking about that and many other subjects – but it’s all coming along well,” Trump said.
Taiwan is also expected to feature in the discussions, with Beijing continuing to claim the self-governing island as part of its territory.
Xi’s visit is scheduled to conclude on Friday morning, when the two presidential couples are expected to have tea at the White House before visiting the National Archives, where the US Declaration of Independence is preserved.
