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Xi got Trump's red carpet welcome - but not everything he wanted
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President Xi Jinping's summits with Donald Trump have one clear aim.
China believes the United States is trying to contain its rise as a superpower, and it wants Washington to stay out of its way - particularly when it comes to trade, technology and Taiwan.
On this visit, however, despite Trump rolling out the red carpet for him, the Chinese leader didn't get everything he wanted.
The trade truce that saw both countries pause a tit-for-tat tariff war and prevent a further escalation, was extended by only a few months - from November to January.
Beijing had hoped for at least a year as Xi looks to ride out the remainder of Trump's presidency.
This means key disputes on tariffs, China's dominance on rare earth supplies and access to advanced US chips are being kicked forward into yet another round of negotiations.
This suggests the US wants China to do more to fulfil its side of the bargain before offering longer-term concessions.
The uncomfortable truth for Xi is that his domestic economy is in trouble. While the country sells a record number of goods around the world, consumers at home are holding back. Youth unemployment remains stubbornly high and property prices have slumped in a country where 80% of people own their own homes.
Trade is helping to prop up growth, making access to overseas markets more important than ever. Xi needs to protect those exports from the kind of debilitating tariffs the US imposed last year.
On Taiwan, Xi once again made clear that US arms sales to Taiwan are a red line for China.
The US is bound by law to provide the self-governing island with the means to defend itself.
In May, Xi warned Trump that mishandling the issue could cause the two countries to "collide or even enter into conflict".
Trump then delayed the approval of a $14 billion arms package for Taiwan, describing it as a "very good negotiating chip" with Beijing.
Xi may have seized on that opening during the talks and likely argued that restraining support for Taiwan reduces the risk of conflict.
On Thursday he reiterated his hope that the US would adhere to the "correct position" of opposing Taiwan independence.
However, Trump - who is coming under some bipartisan pressure to continue US support to Taiwan - is yet to make any public response to the Chinese leader's comments.
The two leaders did at least discuss artificial intelligence (AI) although it's unclear whether they agreed to any safeguards.
All eyes were on whether they would make any concrete decisions on AI - such as an agreement to hold a summit - in the wake of an essay by Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei calling for the slowing down of AI development to make it safer. That followed a warning by a top safety researcher from the company that there was a "greater than 10% chance" that AI could cause the extinction of humans.
But besides Xi talking about the importance of ensuring AI "is always under human control" we didn't get much else. Trump has most recently dismissed fears of human extinction from the technology as a "hoax".
And, of course, let's not forget the pandas. The gift of Ping Ping and Fu Shuang to Atlanta was first heralded in April, but Xi has now announced they will arrive in just a few days as China's panda diplomacy resumes.
There may be more announcements to come as the two prepare to have tea and visit the national archives on Friday.
But for now, one of the summit's biggest victories for Beijing may have been the optics.
The lavish welcome, a personal greeting at the airport and a state banquet featuring sesame crusted sea bass and braised baby bok choy have been welcomed by those watching from China. It will have helped cement Xi's image at home as Trump's equal.
Memes contrasting the two leaders have spread widely on Chinese social media. One popular image shows Trump grimacing as bomber jets fly overhead, while Xi remained impassive.
Xi has found a way to manage one of the world's most unpredictable leaders. But while Trump talks of a "truly great friendship", China's leader is focussed on something bigger: securing China's place alongside the United States as a superpower.
The pandas, the pageantry and the warm words may help smooth this relationship. But beneath the spectacle, the competition between the world's two most powerful countries remains as fierce as ever.
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TOI correspondent from Washington: If diplomacy is the art of keeping a straight face, China’s leader Xi Jinping won hands down during the opening act on Thursday at Andrews Air Force Base where US President Donald Trump received him on a state visit.
For a fleeting moment, the changing balance of the US-China relationship was captured not in a joint communique, but in a visual metaphor. As American bombers roared overhead in a flypast intended to wow the visitor, it was Trump who winced, while Xi watched impassively -- an unintended piece of geopolitical choreography more eloquent than any statement.
Beyond those few revealing seconds, there were other cues that pointed to the new phase of the relationship that indicated China is seen as a peer, even as some pundits believe it is starting to eclipse America. The Chinese president received something few recalled in living memory -- a planeside red carpet welcome that saw Trump himself waiting at the foot of the stairway, a presidential gesture so rare that historians recalled Prez Kennedy welcoming British PM Harold Macmillan at an airport in 1962 as the last comparable instance.
“I met President Xi at the plane (Airport!) yesterday and he looks strong, vibrant, and fit - Better than ever.
Madam Xi, of course, BEAUTIFUL! “ Trump said later on his social media platform, laying it on thick. All this is remarkable coming from a man who roasted Barack Obama in 2012 for giving then Xi a ceremonial welcome. “So wrong! @BarackObama is hosting China's VP Xi Jinping today at the Pentagon with a full honor ceremony with music and cannons…” Trump had tweeted.
And Washington did not merely roll out the red carpet. It literally measured it, ironed it and, according to one wag, made sure Xi’s shoes would not gather any dust. It also announced that the two sides have agreed to extend their trade truce till January, removing at least one immediate irritant before the summit, despite Trump having signed a bill that will empower him to impose100 percent tariff on countries -- notably China and India -- buying Russian energy.
More pomp and pageantry is to follow over the next 48 hours with a ceremonial welcome at the White House followed by a banquet and a private tea party involving the first couples. In fact, Trump appears so anxious to court China that he has even deployed First Lady Melania Trump – who has maintained a relatively low public profile for long stretches of the second Trump presidency – for a starring diplomatic role. She was at the airbase with Trump and will host Chinese first lady Peng Liyuan separately, including a visit to the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art. On Friday, the presidential couples are scheduled for private tea before visiting the National Archives, where they will review archival material on US-China ties.
The First Lady herself offered the philosophy behind the extravaganza on Fox & Friends, saying, “He’s coming on our soil, and we need to welcome them with the most respect.” The White House later released details of Thursday’s banquet, revealing that the First Lady led the preparations for the dinner. On the menu, “American ingredients with subtle Chinese influence, bringing the culinary traditions of both nations together” – including a toast of Schramsberg "Blanc De Noir," honoring the historic “Toast to Peace” shared by President Nixon and Premier Zhou Enlai in Beijing in 1972.
Not everyone from the Trump universe is in tune with the over-the-top welcome. “China should be held accountable for disrespecting President Trump and our country. For stealing an election. For murdering 1.2 million Americans. For helping Iran kill American service members,” raged Laura Loomer, a Trump whisperer who has the President’s ear, fuming that “the hospitality is way more than Xi deserves.” But a more sobering perspective came from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who asserted that it would be irresponsible not to engage Beijing at the highest level despite differences. “The relationship between the United States and China will define the 21st century,” Rubio said, echoing words that the US till recently had used for its ties with India, which is probably watching the scenario with consternation.
Still, there are many skeptics in the global commentariat who think Trump may have overplayed the welcome.”Greeting him personally is a real gamble, because Trump spent his own leverage before the talking started, and the list he needs to work through is long: fentanyl, tariffs, chips, rare earths, and China's role in both Ukraine and Iran,” noted popular podcast host Mario Nawfal. “If he (Xi) walks away from three days of pageantry without a single commitment, Beijing got the photographs for free,” he added.
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US President Donald Trump treated Chinese President Xi Jinping to a rare personal airport welcome Wednesday, kicking off a pomp-filled state visit aimed at smoothing superpower tensions on everything from AI and trade to Iran.
Trump and First Lady Melania shook hands with Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan after the Chinese president descended from his plane at Joint Base Andrews, a US military airfield outside Washington.
Trump, wearing a long coat and gloves, and Xi then stood side by side on the tarmac as a military band played national anthems.
A noisy flyover by two B-1 bombers clearly jolted Trump, who grimaced at the roar of jets, while his Chinese guest stood by impassively.
The personal airport greeting -- a courtesy Trump was notably denied when he visited Beijing in May -- begins three days of pageantry that will include another flyover and a state banquet at the White House on Thursday.
Six F-22 fighter jets and six F-16s were lined up on the tarmac in an apparent display of military might as US officials literally rolled out the red carpet for the Chinese leader.
But expectations of any breakthroughs are low. Analysts say the main aim of the lavish spectacle is to maintain a fragile diplomatic and trade truce between the world's biggest economies.
Xi was accompanied by his right-hand man Cai Qi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, among others, according to Chinese state media.
There were no Chinese CEOs in Xi's delegation, two sources told AFP, despite the fact that top US tech bosses including the leaders of major AI companies are set to attend Thursday's White House state banquet.
Xi's visit will wrap up on Friday morning when the two presidential couples have tea at the White House and then visit the National Archives, home to the US Declaration of Independence.
- Trade war truce extended -
When the two leaders sit down for their highly anticipated talks on Thursday, they will be confronting a host of thorny issues led by fears -- boosted by warnings from tech CEOs -- that artificial intelligence risks wiping out humanity.
But with China and the United States racing for AI supremacy there are few expectations of any deal to regulate the rapidly advancing technology.
Preliminary talks on Sunday between US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and his Chinese counterpart He Lifeng included discussion of creating a communication channel for AI concerns.
There was one success Wednesday, when after further talks Bessent announced an extension of a truce in the simmering trade war between the world's two biggest economies.
The "economic detente" will now extend beyond its November 10 deadline to January 10, Bessent said.
Jonathan Czin of the Brookings Institution told AFP that expectations were low for any concrete results from the meeting but "I think there will be some extension of the gentleman's agreement."
Analysts said that China had meanwhile begun to look past Trump, whose second term ends in early 2029, and is in many ways playing for time and using the truce to consolidate its position.
- 'Oppressive dictator' -
Trump's five-star welcome for Xi has drawn criticism from China hawks within his own party, especially amid reports that Beijing supplied Iran with intelligence for attacks on US troops.
"Our commander-in-chief should keep in mind that his guest is a brutal, unelected and oppressive dictator," said Republican Senator Roger Wicker, chairman of the powerful Senate Armed Services Committee.
Trump, however, has played down the need to bring up the allegations of Chinese help for Iran, justifying it on the grounds that both Beijing and Washington spy on each other.
For Trump, Xi's visit is also a chance to focus on pageantry instead of problems at home, where the Iran war's effect on fuel prices has sent his approval rating plummeting to historic lows ahead of midterm elections in November.
American presidents very rarely travel to the airport to greet foreign leaders, although Trump welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin off his plane in Alaska last year.
The last such welcomes at Andrews -- apart from papal visits -- are believed to be John F. Kennedy's welcome for British prime minister Harold Macmillan in 1962, and Dwight D. Eisenhower's for Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev in 1959.
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A red carpet and military flyover - How Trump welcomed Xi
Donald Trump has welcomed Xi Jinping at the Joint Base Andrews with a red carpet and military flyover to kick off a historic three-day US visit.
During the welcome, which included a red carpet, two B-1 bombers flew overhead to celebrate Xi's arrival.
The supersonic aircraft are a key part of the US's combat arsenal, and produce a notoriously loud roar when they pass by.
The BBC's Bernd Debusmann was at Joint Base Andrews and unpacks the pomp and pageantry behind Xi's welcome to America.
CORRECTION 24 September: The reporter in this video originally referred to two B-1 bombers being nuclear-capable. That is no longer the case and they cannot carry nuclear weapons. The video has been amended accordingly.
Video by Mabel Pickering
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