Chinese President Xi Jinping urged the United States and China to deepen cooperation and prevent their rivalry from escalating into conflict as he met President Donald Trump at the White House.
Speaking at the start of their summit, Xi said the two countries could pursue their ambitions without coming into confrontation. He suggested that “achieving the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and making America great again go hand in hand”, drawing on Trump’s campaign slogan.
“We should strengthen communication. China and the United States are different in national conditions, but through candid, in-depth and continued dialogue, our two countries can understand each other better, seek common ground while shelving differences, and build up mutual trust,” Xi said.
He also called for regular contact between the countries’ armed forces to reduce the risk of a crisis.
“We should coexist in peace. China and the United States, as two major countries, stand to gain from cooperation and will both lose in confrontation. Our two militaries should maintain regular dialog and improve mechanisms for crisis communication and prevention.”
Xi said those steps could help the countries overcome the “Thucydides trap”, a term used to describe the danger of conflict when a rising power challenges an established one. He had raised the same concern with Trump during their meeting in Beijing in May.
The appeal came as Washington and Beijing remained at odds over trade, artificial intelligence and Taiwan. Xi also proposed expanding exchanges between the two countries, including an invitation for 100,000 young Americans to visit China.
Trump welcomed Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, to the White House after personally greeting them at Andrews Air Force Base the previous evening. At the arrival ceremony, Trump pointed to progress in their discussions and said the visit would cover security, technology and trade.
“President Xi and I have made tremendous strides on the issues facing our two countries,” Trump said. “Our teams have been working to encourage a more balances trading relationship, including the new market access for American farmers and ranchers.”
Both leaders emphasised their personal relationship. Xi said they had built a rapport and remained in contact, adding: “I am ready to work with you to steer the giant ship of the China-US relationship on a steady course towards the future.”
After bilateral talks, Trump hosted Xi at a state dinner attended by senior figures from the technology industry, including Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang, Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg, Apple chair Tim Cook, Elon Musk and OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman.
Xi said the day’s discussions had produced “common understanding on many issues”. “China and the United States must act as responsible major countries,” he told dinner guests.
The warm reception offered few immediate answers to the disputes between the two powers. US restrictions on exports of advanced chip technology remain a source of friction, and a tariff truce reached last year has been extended only until February.
Analysts remain sceptical that the leaders can turn their conciliatory language into a lasting agreement.
