On Thursday, Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Donald Trump convened a landmark face-to-face summit at the White House, where Beijing formally committed to partnering with Washington on advancing responsible artificial intelligence governance and expanding cross-border cooperation across multiple sectors. This meeting marked the first in-person engagement between the two leaders since May, setting the stage for a series of new agreements and frank discussions on longstanding sticking points.
President Xi outlined his vision for U.S.-China relations during a formal morning welcoming address, ahead of closed-door negotiations in the Oval Office. According to Chinese state media, Xi raised two key issues during the talks: the question of Taiwan and the ongoing crisis surrounding Iran. As of Thursday afternoon U.S. time, no new trade agreements had been announced by either delegation.
A centerpiece of Xi’s policy proposals was a sweeping expansion of youth exchange, with a pledge to invite 100,000 young Americans to travel, study, and exchange in China over the next five years. This doubles the scope of a previous initiative launched in San Francisco in November 2023, which hit its original 50,000 participation target in May, two and a half years ahead of the original schedule, according to China’s Foreign Ministry. Additional initiatives put forward by Xi included increasing the number of direct air flights between the two nations to boost bilateral travel and trade, deepening joint counter-narcotics and law enforcement collaboration, and maintaining regular dialogue between the two militaries to strengthen crisis communication and prevention frameworks.
Addressing the shared responsibility of the world’s two leading AI powers, Xi emphasized that “Both China and the U.S. are leading nations in AI. We have both the capability and responsibility to develop and manage AI for good, and ensure that the development of AI is always under human control and serves the well-being of the people.” He also framed bilateral cooperation as a global public good, noting that “China-U.S. cooperation may not solve every problem in the world, but without our cooperation, it would be hard to solve many of the world’s problems. Working together, we can lengthen the list of cooperation and shorten the list of issues.”
Xi’s remarks on AI cooperation followed the first formal dialogue on AI governance between Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng and U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, held in New York the previous Sunday. At that meeting, the two sides agreed to launch a dedicated AI safety hotline to enable immediate mutual notification of any high-risk AI incidents.
### Key Regional and Global Issues Raised
During the summit, Xi reaffirmed China’s longstanding position on the Taiwan question, urging the U.S. to adhere to its stated position of opposing Taiwan independence and handle the issue with prudence, per Xinhua News Agency. He stressed that China’s commitment to safeguarding national unity and territorial integrity is unambiguous and non-negotiable. In Washington’s perspective, any forcible unification of Taiwan with mainland China would be viewed as an invasion that would extend China’s military reach beyond the first island chain, stretching from Japan through Taiwan to the Philippines. The Trump administration has held up a proposed $14 billion arms package for Taiwan — the largest ever offered to the island — as a potential “negotiating chip” with Beijing, and no decision on moving forward with the sale has been announced.
On the Iran nuclear and regional security issue, Xi conveyed China’s hope that the U.S. and Iran would return to the negotiating table as soon as possible. He stated that China supports both parties returning to the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and ultimately reaching a comprehensive agreement that addresses the nuclear issue and other regional concerns. The original MoU, signed June 17, extended a 60-day ceasefire and reopened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping, but the agreement collapsed in July after Iran attacked commercial vessels transiting the strait. To date, Beijing has rejected U.S. calls to use its economic and diplomatic leverage with Tehran to end the ongoing conflict.
Addressing the broader nature of U.S.-China relations, Xi pushed back against narratives of inevitable great power conflict, noting that “We do not need to avoid mentioning competition, but our competition should be a healthy one and should be kept within bounds. It should be a race of catching up with one another, not a wrestle in which one either wins or loses.” He reaffirmed China’s commitment to the framework of no conflict and no confrontation, arguing that the so-called Thucydides Trap — the theory that a rising power and an established hegemon are destined for war — can be avoided. “Achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making America great again can go hand in hand. Let us meet the people’s expectations and show our historical initiative. Let us keep advancing the cause of friendship between our two peoples and work together to build a better world,” Xi said.
### Historical Ties and Confidence-Building Measures
Both leaders leaned on shared World War II history to build rapport during the opening ceremony. President Trump highlighted the legacy of the Flying Tigers, the American volunteer pilots who fought alongside Chinese forces against Japanese expansion in 1941 and 1942. He also noted the origin of the U.S. Marine Corps phrase “gung ho,” which derives from the Chinese term gong he, short for Chinese Industrial Cooperatives. The term was brought back to the U.S. by Marine officer Evans Carlson in the 1930s. “The Marines use it as an expression of great enthusiasm, but in Chinese it literally means working together. Just as our people worked together to win that war, President Xi and I will continue working together to forge a better future for both of our nations,” Trump said.
President Xi echoed this sentiment, noting “During the Second World War, Chinese and Americans fought shoulder to shoulder against fascist aggression. Chinese people have never forgotten that part of history, nor have the American people.” As a further gesture of goodwill, Xi announced that two giant pandas, Ping Ping and Fu Shuang, would soon be relocated to their new permanent home at Zoo Atlanta.
On the issue of counter-narcotics, Xi’s commitment to expanded cooperation directly addressed longstanding U.S. concerns over the flow of fentanyl precursor chemicals from China to the U.S. The U.S. had already cut fentanyl-related tariffs on Chinese goods from 20% to 10% following the Busan summit last October. Xi also reiterated that China remains open to U.S. businesses and called for fair treatment of Chinese firms operating in the U.S.
Prior to the summit, British Prime Minister Andy Burnham had called on Trump to raise the case of Jimmy Lai, the jailed Hong Kong pro-democracy activist and British citizen. White House aides confirmed that the case was indeed raised during the talks, as it had been during the May Beijing summit.
Following the welcoming ceremony on the State Floor, the two leaders reviewed troops in the Rose Garden, with a flyover featuring a B-2 stealth bomber and four F-22 fighter jets. U.S. First Lady Melania Trump and Xi’s wife Peng Liyuan toured the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art separately, and the Trumps hosted a formal state dinner for the Chinese delegation in the evening. Xi is scheduled to conclude his visit with a stop at the National Archives on Friday.
### Trade Truce Extended
In comments made Wednesday ahead of the summit, Treasury Secretary Bessent announced that the U.S.-China trade truce, first agreed during the October Busan summit and set to expire November 10, would be extended by two months, now running through January 10. This extension is shorter than the six-month extension some media outlets had reported earlier in the week. Bessent explained that the additional time would allow both sides to continue negotiating a broader long-term trade deal. “We’re open to the idea of just continuing the Busan arrangement or examining the bigger deal. We’re fine with both, and we’re going to do what’s best for the American people,” he told reporters.
On Thursday, China’s Ministry of Commerce spokesperson He Yadong confirmed that the talks between He Lifeng and Bessent covered a range of trade-related topics, including implementing consensus reached in earlier negotiation rounds, pursuing reciprocal tariff reductions, establishing separate bilateral trade and investment councils, and extending the joint framework agreed in Busan last October. Bessent noted that China is on track to meet its commitment to purchase 25 million tons of U.S. soybeans, but is currently behind on its pledge to purchase $17 billion in other U.S. agricultural products. U.S. officials also confirmed last week that China is lagging on its promised deliveries of rare earth materials to the U.S.
