Donald Trump welcomed Xi Jinping to the United States by greeting him personally at the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews. The two leaders are expected to discuss trade, artificial intelligence, Taiwan, and Iran during their summit scheduled for Thursday. A state dinner is also planned for the evening, where both leaders are expected to deliver speeches. Top US tech executives are anticipated to attend the dinner, indicating that artificial intelligence will be a significant topic of discussion.
Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for cooperation with the US, as reported by Beijing's state news agency Xinhua. "Our two countries should be partners rather than rivals," Xi stated in a written statement. He added, "The Chinese and US peoples have enjoyed long-standing friendly exchanges, and our interests are deeply intertwined."
Xi was welcomed in Washington with a red carpet and a military flyover. In remarks published by Xinhua, Xi expressed his anticipation for "in-depth exchanges" with Trump on "major issues concerning our bilateral relations and the global situation."
Xi Jinping's arrival in Washington was marked by a rare planeside welcome from Trump. As Xi walked down the red carpet on the airport tarmac, a White House spokesperson stated that Trump believes Hong Kong democracy advocate Jimmy Lai should be released from prison and "wants to see that happen," according to the DPA news agency. The spokesperson urged authorities to grant Lai humanitarian parole.
Lai, a 78-year-old media tycoon, was sentenced to 20 years in prison earlier this year under the National Security Law that China imposed in 2020 following significant pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. At a congressional hearing in Washington last week, Lai's son, Sebastien, reiterated his appeal for his father's release. Trump had previously raised the issue of Lai's release during a meeting with Xi in Beijing in May, but reported that Xi indicated the case would be "a tough one."
On Tuesday, US outlet Politico reported that British Prime Minister Andy Burnham has requested Trump to discuss Lai's release, who is a British citizen, with Xi.
The US and China have agreed to extend their trade truce by two months, as stated by US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. This announcement coincided with Xi Jinping's arrival in Washington for the meeting with Trump. "We have agreed today that we will extend what we call the Busan Agreement, the economic detente between the two countries that was scheduled to end on November 10th," Bessent told Fox News. The extension of the one-year trade truce provides both sides additional time to negotiate.
Xi Jinping's plane landed in Washington for his state visit, which will include a meeting with Trump on Thursday. Unlike with other leaders, Trump honored Xi by welcoming him at Joint Base Andrews rather than waiting for him at the White House. The greeting included a red carpet lined by US service members and a military flyover, marking the start of Xi's three-day visit to Washington. Additional events during the trip will include a state dinner with tech leaders and a visit to the National Archives, where the original Declaration of Independence and Constitution are housed.
Expectations for a breakthrough during Xi's visit are low. Despite significant disagreements, the two leaders are proceeding with the summit, which analysts suggest is intended to project stability on the world stage. The agenda is expected to cover trade, artificial intelligence, as well as the conflicts in Iran and Ukraine. Xi is likely to press Trump on Taiwan, a topic that Washington prefers to avoid, while Trump is expected to maintain firm US export controls despite Xi's objections.