Washington (GNP): US President Donald Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House on Thursday for a lavish state summit expected to be heavy on symbolism but light on substance, as both leaders sought to project stable ties despite a deep underlying rivalry.
The meeting marks the year’s second encounter between the leaders of the world’s two biggest economies, but Xi’s first visit to Washington in more than a decade.
Trump greeted Xi on arrival on Wednesday evening, the first time a US president has personally welcomed a foreign leader at Joint Base Andrews in 11 years, since President Barack Obama welcomed Pope Francis in 2015, according to C-SPAN.
In a statement carried by China’s Xinhua news agency, Xi voiced hope for a more stable relationship with the United States, saying Beijing and Washington should be “partners, not rivals” and that the historical logic of peaceful coexistence between the two countries remained unchanged.
For Trump, who relishes ceremony, the visit carries as much weight for national prestige as it does for diplomacy, with the president aiming to reciprocate the grand welcome he received in China in May through a ceremony spanning the White House South Lawn, State Floor and Rose Garden.
Major breakthroughs are not expected. Analysts say tangible outcomes are likely to be limited to an extension of a trade truce expiring in November and an agreement to examine threats posed by artificial intelligence.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said after talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng that both sides had agreed to extend until 10 January an arrangement pausing a trade war that had seen mutual tariffs top 100 per cent.
People familiar with the plans said the talks could also yield agreements to lower some tariffs, combat drug trafficking and expand military-to-military dialogue, while Trump is expected to seek the release of Americans detained in China.
Former Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell said the summit was less about substantive negotiations than a chance for two forceful leaders to project strength, describing it as a historic measuring of power between two major civilisations.
Xi appears to hold a stronger hand, having overseen a surge in China’s trade and retaining control over rare earth mineral supplies that give him significant leverage. Both leaders nonetheless see advantages in keeping relations stable, with Trump weighed down by the unpopular Iran war and Xi managing domestic economic pressures.
Beneath the surface, however, unresolved disputes over Taiwan, export controls and AI could still reignite tensions. Taiwan remains the most contentious issue, with US allies in Asia concerned that Trump may soften Washington’s support for Taipei to secure economic gains with Beijing.
Xi is expected to press Trump to halt Taiwan arms sales, potentially during a planned visit by both leaders to the US National Archives on Friday, in exchange for Chinese help in pressuring Iran, according to sources briefed on the matter.
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Trade remains the more promising track. US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said this month that the countries would make announcements on agriculture and non-tariff barriers, adding that China was making progress on a commitment to buy 200 Boeing aircraft.
Analysts say artificial intelligence could also become an area for cooperation, given its implications for national security and economic competitiveness. Bessent discussed AI with He Lifeng over the weekend, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there was early thinking about a Cold War-style hotline to avoid dangerous incidents between the two nations.
The guest list for Thursday’s state dinner includes prominent technology executives, though people familiar with US plans say Trump is likely to maintain firm export controls on the technology Beijing wants loosened.
Kurt Campbell said, “This is really the historical reincarnation of what we often referred to in antiquity as single combat, really powerful guys, each representing their civilisations, going toe to toe.”
Managing Editor at Global News Pakistan (GNP), with a Bachelor's degree in International Relations from Riphah International University, graduated with a Gold Medal. Reach out at sabahtareengnp@gmail.com
