Trump to fete Xi with lavish White House welcome

The White House will welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday for a highly publicized day of ceremonies and diplomacy, aimed at sustaining the fragile peace between the two world superpowers. President Donald Trump personally greeted Xi upon his arrival on Wednesday, marking the first such welcome at Joint Base Andrews near Washington in over six decades. The day's program includes a formal welcome on the White House South Lawn, a military flyover, talks in the Oval Office, and a state banquet.

However, beneath the pageantry, significant tensions persist over issues such as the ongoing trade war, artificial intelligence, and Beijing's support for Iran. Upon his arrival, Xi emphasized the need for cooperation, stating that China and the United States should be partners, not rivals. He expressed his eagerness to engage in in-depth exchanges with Trump on key bilateral and global issues.

Good news for both nations arrived in the form of a two-month extension of the trade truce, which had been set to expire in November. Despite Trump's claims of achieving results from his "great relationship" with Xi, few breakthroughs are expected during this third meeting since Trump's presidency began. Instead, the visit serves as a display of spectacle rather than substantive progress.

The day's agenda includes a military inspection in the Rose Garden, a gift-giving ceremony featuring the wives of both leaders, and remarks from both presidents in the morning and evening. The state dinner will showcase prominent US technology and AI companies, though Xi's delegation lacks CEOs. During the summit, artificial intelligence, Taiwan, and Iran are expected to be major topics of discussion. The visit concludes on Friday with a tea ceremony at the White House and a visit to the National Archives.