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Friend or foe? Trump rolls out the red carpet for China's Xi Jinping
Confirmed
In Short: President Trump greeted Chinese leader Xi Jinping with a grand arrival ceremony at Joint Base Andrews, despite ongoing trade and AI disagreements.
President Donald Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to the United States with a lavish arrival ceremony at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Wednesday.
The ceremony featured a 100-foot red carpet, a 21-gun salute, and a flyover by two B-1 bombers, underscoring the high level of the visit.
Melania Trump emphasized the importance of respect during the visit, telling Fox & Friends, 'He’s coming on our soil, and we need to welcome them with the most respect.
The visit is part of a broader effort to ease tensions between the world's two largest economies.
Bessent proposed a new AI safety-notification mechanism for Trump and Xi to consider during their summit.
Richard Gowan of the International Crisis Group noted the significance of Xi's visit to Washington, saying, 'It’s pretty notable that Xi Jinping is coming to Washington in the same week as the general assembly, but does not feel bothered to come up to New York.
The visit also comes after Trump's previous anti-China rhetoric, including accusations of currency manipulation and theft.
Trump invited Xi to Washington, noting in his remarks that the two countries had a history of friendly relations before the rise of anti-American communist ideology in China.
Background
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent proposes an AI hotline to China to address national security concerns, ahead of a Trump-Xi summit.
What's confirmed
- President Donald Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to the United States with a lavish arrival ceremony at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland on Wednesday.
- The ceremony featured a 100-foot red carpet, a 21-gun salute, and a flyover by two B-1 bombers, underscoring the high level of the visit.
- Melania Trump emphasized the importance of respect during the visit, telling Fox & Friends, 'He’s coming on our soil, and we need to welcome them with the most respect.
- The visit is part of a broader effort to ease tensions between the world's two largest economies.
- Bessent proposed a new AI safety-notification mechanism for Trump and Xi to consider during their summit.
- Richard Gowan of the International Crisis Group noted the significance of Xi's visit to Washington, saying, 'It’s pretty notable that Xi Jinping is coming to Washington in the same week as the general assembly, but does not feel bothered to come up to New York.
- The visit also comes after Trump's previous anti-China rhetoric, including accusations of currency manipulation and theft.
- Trump invited Xi to Washington, noting in his remarks that the two countries had a history of friendly relations before the rise of anti-American communist ideology in China.
What's still developing
- “There is a SICK conspiracy going on against AI and Data Centers, and the only one that is happy about it is China. WHOEVER WINS AI, WINS. We are leading China, and all others, and will continue to do so,” Trump wrote on Truth Social last week.
- Xi’s plane was met with a lavish arrival ceremony that included a 30-metre-long (100ft) red carpet flanked by US service members, a military flyover by two B-1 bombers and a presentation of the flags and national anthems of both countries.
- There was one discordant note in the carefully orchestrated arrival ceremony, when Trump visibly winced at the sound of a US military jet flying overhead as he stood alongside Xi on the red carpet, listening to the US national anthem.
- Trump rolls out the red carpet for China's Xi Jinping Francesca Chambers Miles J.
- ET Subscribe to hear this story WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump rose to power on an anti-China platform that attacked Beijing as a currency manipulator and accused its government of robbing the United States.
- “The first ask is of Trump and Xi Jinping to come up with an international agreement, and two of the core principles should be one banning any self-improving AI, recursive self-improving AI. The second is to have safeguards so that AI can’t be misused by people for biological nuclear weapons,” Khanna said on Sept 21.
- US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer speaking to the media after meeting China's Vice-Premier He Lifeng on Sept 20.
- The formal arrival ceremony featured a 100-foot red carpet, a 21-gun artillery salute, an honor guard, and service members presenting the national flags of both countries.
- Trump and First Lady Melania Trump greet President Xi Jinping of China and Madame Peng Liyuan upon their arrival in Washington, D.C., ahead of the state visit at the White House.
- Ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s arrival in New Delhi for the BRICS summit and a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi Saturday, Beijing said Friday that the two countries will work to “handle the bilateral relations from a strategic height and long-term perspective” and “be friends” and “partners helping each other succeed”.
- “China will work with India to act on the strategic guidance of the two leaders, handle the bilateral relations from a strategic height and long-term perspective, step up communication, enhance cooperation, properly handle differences, and be friends enjoying good neighborliness and partners helping each other succeed,” Xu said.