US President Donald Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House on Thursday for a lavish summit that was heavy on symbolism but light on substance, with no sign of breakthroughs on thorny issues such as AI, trade, Taiwan and the war with Iran.
The two leaders and their wives attended a state dinner, a black-tie affair of sesame-crusted sea bass and a guest list heavy with tech CEOs.
Outside the gate, a group of loud protesters shouted slogans like “China out of Hong Kong” that were clearly audible to the leaders as they posed for pictures on the red-carpeted White House steps.
In his dinner toast, Trump said he and Xi “both understand we represent different systems but the ties between our people endure and we’ve never gotten along better.”
Trump then invited dinner guests to tour the site of the new ballroom he is building nearby, hours after showing Xi a helipad he had had built in the White House complex.
Construction projects are a frequent digression for a president who has put a lot of focus on remaking Washington’s physical infrastructure.
Xi said he and Trump had in-depth discussions and reached “common understanding on many issues” that provided “new strategic guidance for China-US relations.”
He did not elaborate.
“China and the United States must act as responsible major countries,” he said, calling for “a new approach for major countries to get along with each other.”
The meeting was striking for where it took place – in Washington, even as scores of world leaders were in New York for the United Nations General Assembly.
It took place at a time of rising public concern about the swift growth of AI, and as Trump struggles to resolve a war his administration and Israel began with Iran, which has sharply driven up energy prices and weighed heavily on his public approval as November midterm elections approach.
During a bilateral discussion in the afternoon, Xi urged the US to oppose “Taiwan independence,” according to a readout from the official Chinese news agency – addressing one of the thorniest issues between the two countries.
