China’s Xi heads to US for talks with Trump: state media

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Washington on Wednesday to meet with US President Donald Trump, as reported by state media. The highly anticipated talks come amid growing concerns over advanced artificial intelligence technologies and ongoing trade tensions between the two nations. Accompanying Xi were his wife Peng Liyuan, his aide Cai Qi, and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Upon his arrival at Joint Base Andrews, Trump personally met with Xi before their scheduled meetings on Thursday.

The White House stated that the visit marked a significant milestone, highlighting the importance of the relationship between the two countries. However, analysts have warned that concrete agreements may not be reached during the talks. The discussion could span various issues, including the threat of war over Taiwan, ongoing trade disputes, and the impact of Trump's sanctions on Iran.

Ahead of the meetings, the US and China discussed establishing a communication channel for AI-related concerns, though no details have been released. Meanwhile, US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent met with his Chinese counterpart He Lifeng to explore ways to address AI issues through a notification mechanism. Despite Trump's assurances that he had discussed the fate of jailed Hong Kong pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai with Xi, the release of Lai was deemed unlikely.

Beijing, however, did grant the release of Ezra Jin, the founder of an underground church, after pressure from Trump.