WASHINGTON
US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to hold high-stakes talks in Washington on Thursday, with trade, rare earth minerals, artificial intelligence and wider geopolitical tensions expected to dominate their discussions.
Trump personally welcomed Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, at Joint Base Andrews outside Washington on Wednesday, a rare gesture by any US president, who normally receives visiting leaders at the White House.
It was the first time, at least since 1962, that any US leader had received a foreign leader on the base tarmac.
Xi’s three-day state visit marks his first state visit to Washington in more than a decade. The visit coincided with an extension of a US-China trade truce until Jan. 10.
Under the agreement, Washington suspended higher reciprocal tariffs and reduced some fentanyl-related duties, while Beijing eased restrictions on critical minerals.
Artificial intelligence is another topic expected to be discussed, while other issues such as Taiwan, Iran, Ukraine and North Korea may come up during broader discussions.
Trump hosting Xi also comes as the US remains at war with Iran and amid the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict.
Ahead of the Xi-Trump summit, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday: “The United States and China are the two largest economies in the world. They also likely have the world’s two most powerful militaries. The relationship between the United States and China will define the 21st century.”
On Thursday, Trump is scheduled to host Xi at the White House for an official welcome and military review before the two leaders hold closed-door, one-on-one and delegation-level talks.
The day will end with a state dinner hosted by Trump and first lady Melania Trump for Xi and Peng.
Several leading US technology and business figures, including Elon Musk, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Apple CEO Tim Cook and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, are expected to attend the dinner.
The two leaders are scheduled to meet again on Friday before Xi departs Washington.
Xi’s trip comes after he hosted Trump on a state visit in May, when the two sides agreed on a “new vision of building a constructive China-US relationship of strategic stability.”
