The two leaders expressed their desire to maintain stable relations and expand cooperation, even as Washington and Beijing continue to engage in fierce competition on trade, technology, artificial intelligence, and security.
President Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan arrived at the White House around 10:00 a.m. local time. President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump welcomed the Chinese guests. This marks President Xi’s first state visit to the US in over a decade and the second face-to-face meeting between the two leaders this year.
At the White House, President Trump highlighted his personal relationship with President Xi and noted that the US and China have made some progress in trade. He stated that the two leaders will focus on discussing security, technology, and artificial intelligence—a field the US President referred to as "super-intelligence." "The decisions we make in these areas today can promote peace and prosperity for decades and decades to come," Trump said.
For his part, President Xi said the purpose of the visit was to build upon their friendship, expand cooperation, and promote the well-being of the people of both nations. China-US cooperation may not solve every problem in the world, but without it, it would be hard to solve many of the world's problems, Xi said.
China keeps its door wide open, welcomes American companies wanting to invest and do business in China, Xi added.
Both China and the United States are leading nations in artificial intelligence (AI), Xi said, noting that the two countries 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.
According to the Chinese President, competition between Washington and Beijing should be healthy and kept within appropriate bounds. The two nations need to view each other as partners rather than rivals, manage their differences, and prevent competition from escalating into confrontation.
One concrete outcome announced prior to the summit was an agreement between the US and China to extend their trade truce until January 10, 2027; the previous agreement was set to expire on November 10.
After the closed-door summit lasting over an hour, President Trump gave President Xi a tour of the White House. As he took Xi to board the Marine One presidential helicopter, he told reporters, "We had a great meeting."
