Trump welcomes Xi months after Beijing talks on trade, Iran

President Donald Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House on Thursday, as the leaders began a state visit focusing on trade, artificial intelligence, and other contentious issues between the two nations. The White House ceremony included military honors, remarks from Trump and Xi, and a military review in the Rose Garden.

This marked a rare departure for a US president, as Xi attended a welcome ceremony at Joint Base Andrews the previous day. The leaders are set to discuss artificial intelligence, trade, Taiwan, and the Iran conflict during their meetings. This visit is Xi's first to Washington in over a decade and the second encounter between the two leaders this year.

Trump described their relationship as a "truly great friendship," while Xi called for enhanced communication between Washington and Beijing, urging the two countries to avoid conflict and confrontation. The state visit will also feature a state dinner for the two leaders and members of their delegations, business leaders, and government officials.

The meeting comes amid ongoing efforts by Washington and Beijing to maintain a trade truce, with each side dealing with technology, rare earths, and China's economic and diplomatic support for Iran.