Xi heads into Trump visit after making China into global force since 2015

In a state visit to Washington in 2015, Chinese President Xi Jinping aimed to ease concerns among Americans regarding China's rapid growth. At the Rose Garden, he warmly greeted then-President Barack Obama, pledging to strengthen economic ties and enhance cooperation. Obama declared that the U.S. "welcomes the rise of a China that is peaceful, stable, prosperous and a responsible player in global affairs."

However, times have changed. Xi returned to the U.S. capital on Wednesday for his first state visit in over a decade, displaying newfound confidence as the world's two biggest economies vie for supremacy in areas such as artificial intelligence, space exploration, and global influence. It is anticipated that Xi will advocate for collaboration with the U.S. for the benefit of the entire world.

"In 2015, China was a rising power still, profoundly and quickly rising, but rising undeniably," stated Mira Rapp-Hooper, a fellow at the Brookings Institution's Center for Asia Policy Studies. Today, "China has risen." Both economies have experienced remarkable growth.