US President Donald Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping at a lavish state dinner at the White House on Thursday, capping a day of ceremonial displays that masked deep tensions between the two rival superpowers.
The banquet was attended by several leading US technology executives, including Tesla chief Elon Musk, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, highlighting the importance of trade and artificial intelligence (AI) in Xi’s visit, reports AFP.
Outside the White House, protesters gathered as Trump and his wife, Melania, welcomed Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, for dinner. AFP reporters witnessed protesters chanting slogans including “Xi Jinping is not welcome” and “Free Hong Kong”.
Earlier in the day, Trump said he and Xi had made “tremendous strides”, as he hosted a military parade, a flyover and a tour of the White House’s new helipad.
“President Xi and I both understand that we represent different systems, but the ties between our people endure,” Trump said at the dinner.
Xi adopted a more restrained tone, calling for China and the United States to “coexist in peace” while laying out Beijing’s positions on AI, Taiwan and the Iran war.
“China and the United States must act as responsible major countries,” Xi said during the dinner.
Trump presented Xi with a custom-made statue of a bald eagle, the national symbol of the United States.
Guests were served yellow squash velouté, sesame-crusted sea bass and vanilla cremeux with White House honey ice cream.
The 80-year-old US president also invited the guests to tour the site of his planned $400 million White House ballroom after dinner.
“In honour of you, you’ll be the first couple to step foot on that,” Trump said.
Despite business being a key part of the state dinner, expectations of a major breakthrough from Xi’s visit remain low.
A minor achievement was the extension of a trade truce by two months until January, falling short of the two-year extension Chinese officials had hoped for. The visit was instead marked by spectacle, with the elaborate ceremonies helping to ease tensions between the world’s two largest economies.
Thursday’s programme began with a formal welcome on the White House South Lawn, followed by a military parade inspected by Trump and Xi on the newly paved-over Rose Garden.
US military aircraft, including a B-2 bomber of the type used to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities last year, staged a flyover as US and Chinese flags flew over the West Wing.
As the leaders began talks in the Oval Office, Trump joked that China had the friendliest press corps.
His remark came days after he barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, although the outlets returned on Thursday following a court order.
Trump later took Xi to see the new helipad he has built at the White House and invited the Chinese leader aboard his Marine One helicopter.
“We had a great meeting,” Trump said, as the two leaders ignored questions on Iran, Taiwan, fentanyl trafficking and jailed Hong Kong pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai.
Xi’s remarks during the visit were often more pointed.
In his arrival remarks, he said the two countries must ensure there was “no conflict and no confrontation” and stressed that AI must remain “always under human control”. Trump, by contrast, has played down warnings that AI could pose a threat to humanity.
Later in the Oval Office, Xi urged Trump to exercise “prudence” and oppose independence for Taiwan, the self-governing island claimed by Beijing.
The Chinese leader, whose country has reportedly shared intelligence with Tehran, also called on Trump to end the Iran war “through negotiation as soon as possible”.
Xi’s visit concludes on Friday when the Chinese president and his wife visit the US National Archives, home to the Declaration of Independence, which marks its 250th anniversary this year.
