Trump-Xi Summit: Special welcome, no breakthroughs expected

Washington (Agencies): US President Donald Trump yesterday gave his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, a lavish welcome at the White House in an effort to preserve the fragile truce in the tariff war between the world’s two largest economies. On Wednesday, Trump personally attended to welcome Xi at the tarmac of Joint Base Andrews near Washington, marking the first such gesture by a US president in more than six decades during a visit by a foreign political leader. The Republican president organized additional honors and ceremonies for Xi, beginning with a formal welcome on the South Lawn of the White House, featuring flyovers by a B-2 stealth bomber and four F-22 Raptor fighter jets, followed by talks in the Oval Office and culminating in a state dinner.

However, these displays of hospitality mask deep points of tension over contentious issues between the two countries, foremost among them the trade war, artificial intelligence, and Beijing’s diplomatic and economic support for Iran. Xi called for cooperation between the two nations, in remarks carried by official Chinese media shortly after his arrival, emphasizing that China and the United States should be “partners, not adversaries.” He added that he looks forward to “having in-depth discussions with President Trump on key issues concerning our bilateral relations and the global situation.”

As an early sign of thaw, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced on Wednesday that an agreement had been reached to extend the trade truce between the two countries for two months, after it was scheduled to expire on November 10. Both sides are keen to avoid a return to the trade war that Trump launched last year by imposing steep tariffs on nearly all of America’s trading partners.

Although Trump insisted he would achieve good results thanks to his “great relationship” with Xi, major breakthroughs are not expected. Instead, the aim of this third meeting between the two presidents since Trump’s return to the presidency is to maintain the current thaw despite existing tensions. Accordingly, the ceremonial aspects overshadow the substantive content of Xi’s first state visit to the White House in more than a decade. The program includes a military display in the Rose Garden and an exchange of gifts with the first ladies, Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan.