Xi arrives in US to personal Trump welcome
US President Donald Trump treated Chinese President Xi Jinping to a rare personal airport welcome Wednesday, kicking off a pomp-filled state visit aimed at smoothing superpower tensions on everything from AI and trade to Iran.
President Donald Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to the United States on Wednesday, marking the start of a state visit aimed at easing tensions between the world's superpowers. The summit, his third with Xi since Trump took office, will focus on high-profile issues such as artificial intelligence, trade, and Iran. Upon descending from his plane at Joint Base Andrews, Trump and Xi shook hands, standing side by side as a military band played their national anthems.
Trump noted that he was pleased with the warm greeting, despite Xi not reciprocating when Trump visited China in May. The visit includes a formal welcome, a second flyover, talks in the Oval Office, and a state banquet at the White House. Analysts expect the pageantry to maintain a fragile calm between the rivals, with low expectations for any breakthroughs.
Iran will be on the agenda, with Trump confirming that the issue will be discussed. However, China's participation in the war effort has raised concerns. A two-month extension of a trade truce between the two nations was announced by the US Treasury, extending it until January 10. The main focus of the summit is expected to be AI, as both nations vie for supremacy in the field.
Written by urgent.news from The Jakarta Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
