President Donald Trump on Thursday emphasized his personal relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping as the two leaders met in Washington, while Xi called for the United States and China to manage their rivalry and avoid allowing competition to spiral into confrontation.
Speaking at the start of their talks, Trump described his relationship with Xi as a “truly great friendship,” dating it to his first presidential campaign in 2016.
The remarks came as the leaders confronted a broad set of disputes, including trade, Taiwan, advanced technology and the war involving Iran.
Xi struck a more cautionary tone, saying the two countries have closely connected interests and should pursue competition within limits. He urged the United States and China to view their economic and technological rivalry as a contest in which each seeks to improve rather than an all-or-nothing struggle.
“It should be a race of catching up with one another, not a wrestle in which one either wins or loses,” Xi said of the competition between the world’s two largest economies.
The Chinese leader again invoked the “Thucydides trap,” a term used to describe the danger of conflict between an established power and a rising one. He said the two countries should avoid falling into that pattern.
Xi also called on Trump to handle the Taiwan question carefully, according to China’s state-run Xinhua news agency. Beijing considers Taiwan part of China and has not ruled out using force to bring the island under its control. Washington, meanwhile, is required under U.S. law to make defense equipment available to Taiwan and says it opposes unilateral changes to the status quo.
Taiwan remains among the most sensitive issues between Washington and Beijing. Trump has previously described arms sales to Taiwan as a bargaining tool in negotiations with China, while Beijing has repeatedly demanded that the United States stop such sales.
Trade was another central issue as the leaders met. The United States and China agreed Wednesday to extend their existing trade truce for another two months, giving negotiators additional time to pursue a longer-term arrangement. Both governments have an interest in preventing renewed economic tensions from disrupting their respective economies.
The leaders were also expected to address Iran, where Washington has sought greater Chinese pressure on Tehran. China has significant economic ties with Iran and has criticized U.S. and Israeli military action there. The Trump administration has warned Beijing against providing support for Iran’s military campaign.
Artificial intelligence was also on the agenda. Trump said earlier Thursday that he wanted to preserve the current U.S. approach to AI, while Xi said Washington and Beijing have a responsibility to ensure the technology remains subject to human oversight and is developed for the benefit of society.
Xi announced that China plans to invite 100,000 young Americans to participate in educational and cultural exchanges over the next five years. He also said China would send two giant pandas to Atlanta, describing the animals as symbols of friendship.
The meeting was accompanied by an elaborate White House welcome for Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan. Trump and Xi met after the Chinese delegation arrived in Washington and later took part in a military ceremony before beginning their talks. Trump subsequently showed Xi the newly completed helicopter landing pad on the South Lawn and gave him a look at Marine One.
The leaders were scheduled to return to the White House later Thursday for a formal state dinner, where they were expected to continue discussions against the backdrop of a relationship that mixes cooperation and intense strategic competition.
Ali Imran is a Washington-based journalist, who has worked for leading world news organizations as a correspondent, expert and in editorial positions. He is a published author and poet.
