Trump and Xi project friendship as Taiwan, Iran, trade and AI tensions remain unresolved

WASHINGTON, Sep 24 – President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping met at the White House on Thursday for high-stakes talks aimed at managing one of the most consequential relationships in the world, as Washington and Beijing remain divided over trade, Taiwan, artificial intelligence and the war in Iran.

The meeting was wrapped in ceremony and personal diplomacy. Trump welcomed Xi with an elaborate state arrival, a military review and a tour of the newly completed White House helipad, repeatedly emphasizing the friendship he says the two leaders have developed since his first presidential campaign in 2016.

“President Xi and I have forged a friendship, a truly great friendship,” Trump said during the welcome ceremony, describing the relationship as one based on mutual respect and the interests of both countries.

Xi struck a more cautious tone. He said the United States and China are deeply connected and argued that their competition should remain within limits. He also repeated his warning about the so-called “Thucydides trap,” the historical theory that rivalry between a rising power and an established power can lead to conflict.

The leaders’ public remarks underscored a central feature of the relationship. Both sides appear interested in preventing tensions from escalating, but they continue to hold sharply different positions on several issues that have shaped the U.S.-China relationship for years.

The two governments had already agreed Wednesday to extend a tariff truce by two months, giving negotiators more time to work toward a longer-term trade arrangement. But the extension did not resolve the broader disputes over technology, market access, Taiwan and China’s relationship with Iran.

Taiwan remains one of the most sensitive disputes

Taiwan was among the most difficult issues confronting the two leaders, even though Trump did not publicly discuss the substance of the matter during his initial remarks.

According to China’s state-run Xinhua news agency, Xi told Trump during their private conversation that Beijing hopes Washington will continue to oppose Taiwan independence and urged the U.S. president to handle the Taiwan issue cautiously.

Beijing considers Taiwan part of China and has repeatedly said it could use force to bring the island under its control if necessary. Washington, meanwhile, is legally committed to providing Taiwan with defensive weapons and has said it opposes unilateral efforts by either side to change the existing situation across the Taiwan Strait.

The disagreement has become a recurring feature of Trump and Xi’s discussions.

China has repeatedly called on Washington to stop arms sales to Taiwan permanently. Trump has previously treated those weapons sales as part of his broader negotiations with Beijing. After his meeting with Xi in Beijing in May, Trump said he was delaying final approval of a record arms package for Taiwan and described arms sales as a “very good negotiating chip” in talks with China.

The issue illustrates the difference between the two governments’ approaches. Beijing views U.S. military support for Taiwan as a direct challenge to its sovereignty claims, while Washington presents its support as part of a long-standing effort to help Taiwan deter an attack.

Neither side appeared ready Thursday to publicly announce a fundamental change in those positions.

AI brings cooperation and competition into the same room

Artificial intelligence was another major subject hanging over the summit, reflecting the increasingly important role of technology in the broader U.S.-China rivalry.

Trump said before the meeting that AI, including what he has called “superintelligence,” would be high on the agenda. His administration has generally emphasized the need for the United States to maintain a technological lead over China, while resisting calls for regulations that could slow the rapid development of advanced AI systems.

Xi presented a somewhat different emphasis in his opening remarks.

The Chinese president said the United States and China have both the capability and responsibility to develop and manage artificial intelligence for the public good. He argued that AI development should remain under human control and serve people’s well-being.

That difference is significant because the two countries are simultaneously competitors and potential partners in managing the risks created by rapidly advancing technology.

Their finance ministers had discussed a proposed notification mechanism for AI-related incidents between the two countries earlier in the week. Such an arrangement could provide a channel for Washington and Beijing to communicate if the development or use of advanced AI systems creates unexpected risks.

But the technological relationship remains complicated by U.S. restrictions on exports of advanced computer chips to China and Beijing’s desire for greater access to cutting-edge technology.

China has pressed the Trump administration to loosen those restrictions, while Washington has continued to view advanced semiconductors and AI capabilities as strategically important. The technology dispute therefore goes beyond commercial competition and is increasingly connected to national security concerns.

Iran and trade expose the limits of the personal relationship

The war in Iran added another major complication to the summit.

The Trump administration has repeatedly urged China to use its considerable economic relationship with Iran to encourage Tehran to accept U.S. terms for ending the conflict. Beijing, however, has resisted Washington’s pressure.

China depends heavily on energy supplies moving through the Gulf and has significant economic ties with Iran, giving the conflict direct implications for its economy. At the same time, Beijing has condemned U.S. and Israeli military action and has previously warned against what Xi described as a return to the “law of the jungle.”

Chinese state broadcaster CCTV reported that Xi told Trump on Thursday that Beijing supports efforts by the United States and Iran to return to an interim agreement that had been reached during the summer.

That arrangement broke down after the two countries resumed fighting over issues including control of the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important routes for energy shipments.

Trade provided a more immediate area for cooperation.

U.S. and Chinese officials agreed Wednesday to extend the existing tariff truce for another two months. The move prevents an immediate return to some of the trade tensions that have marked Trump’s approach to China, but it is not a permanent settlement.

Both governments continue to negotiate over tariffs, market access and other economic issues. China also wants greater certainty for its companies operating in the United States, while Washington remains focused on reducing economic vulnerabilities and protecting strategic technologies.

The extension therefore buys time rather than resolving the larger dispute.

White House ceremony contrasts with unresolved disagreements

Trump made the ceremonial side of Xi’s visit a major feature of the day.

The president personally greeted Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, when they arrived at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday. On Thursday, the White House staged a formal arrival ceremony that included military honors and a review before the two leaders moved into their bilateral discussions.

After roughly 90 minutes of talks, Trump took Xi outside to see the new helipad on the South Lawn and showed him Marine One. The two leaders also appeared to look toward the construction site for the White House ballroom before Xi left and later returned for the state dinner.

The dinner brought together prominent figures from American politics, business and technology, with major U.S. executives including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Tesla and SpaceX chief Elon Musk among the roughly 130 guests. But the absence of Chinese technology and business leaders was conspicuous, particularly as the summit focused heavily on trade, artificial intelligence and the broader technological competition between Washington and Beijing. U.S. and Chinese officials had discussed including several Chinese executives in the visit, but no Chinese CEOs appeared at the state dinner.

Yet the spectacle surrounding the visit did not eliminate questions about what was actually achieved.

Danny Russel, a former senior State Department official who served during the Obama administration and is now a distinguished fellow at the Asia Society Policy Institute, argued that the leaders were spending substantial time on ceremonial and social events rather than the difficult issues at the center of the relationship.

The contrast was particularly visible on Thursday. Trump emphasized friendship and the grandeur of the occasion, while Xi stressed the need to keep competition controlled.

The White House has presented the visit as an opportunity to advance cooperation and stabilize ties. Trump has highlighted trade, American farmers and broader economic interests, while Xi has emphasized coexistence and the need for competition to remain within limits.

But the underlying disagreements remain.

Taiwan continues to divide Washington and Beijing. The two countries are competing for technological leadership while discussing ways to manage AI risks. Their trade truce remains temporary, and they have different positions on the war in Iran.

Those disputes are unlikely to be settled by ceremony or personal rapport alone. For now, Trump’s decision to give Xi an unusually prominent welcome has created space for dialogue, but Thursday’s meeting offered few public indications that the fundamental disagreements between Washington and Beijing had been resolved.