Red carpet for Xi as Trump seeks to steady US-China ties

President Donald Trump extended a grand welcome to Chinese President Xi Jinping, marking the commencement of a state visit aimed at easing tensions concerning AI, trade, and Iran.

The event, more symbolic than substantive, saw an extension of the trade truce between the two nations and involved ceremonial activities, including national anthems and a military flyover.

While substantial breakthroughs were not anticipated, discussions were intended to foster a fragile calm amid geopolitical tensions.

Although criticized domestically, the visit served to divert attention from domestic challenges faced by Trump.

WASHINGTON, Sept 24 — US President Donald Trump treated Chinese President Xi Jinping to a rare personal airport welcome yesterday, kicking off a pomp-filled state visit aimed at smoothing superpower tensions on everything from AI and trade to Iran.

The summit is expected to be more about spectacle than substance — but there was an early breakthrough when Washington announced a two-month extension of a trade truce with Beijing that was due to expire in November.

After officials literally rolled out the red carpet, Trump and First Lady Melania shook hands with Xi and his wife Peng Liyuan once 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 the 80-year-old Trump, who grimaced at the roar of jets, while his Chinese guest stood by impassively.

Trump brushed off the fact that Xi had not given him a similar airport welcome when he visited Beijing in May.

“I thought it was a great little meeting, a great greeting, and I think they appreciate it,” Trump told reporters at the White House after welcoming Xi.

The lavish visit — the third between Xi and Trump since the US leader returned to power — will include a formal welcome and another flyover, talks in the Oval Office and a state banquet at the White House today.

It will wrap up tomorrow 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.

Expectations of any breakthroughs are low. Analysts say the main aim of the pageantry is to maintain a fragile calm between the superpower rivals.

The Iran war will be on the agenda, Trump confirmed yesterday, despite having earlier played down reports that Beijing was supplying Tehran with intelligence as the conflict drags on.

“I’ll be talking about that and many other subjects — but it’s all coming along well, including that,” Trump said when an AFP reporter asked if he would bring up Iran.

On the simmering trade war sparked by Trump’s sweeping tariffs last year, US Treasury Scott Bessent announced yesterday after intensive pre-summit talks that there had been an extension of a truce.

The “economic detente” will now extend beyond its November 10 deadline to January 10, Bessent said.

But hopes of business deals have been dimmed by the fact that there are no Chinese CEOs in Xi’s delegation, two sources told AFP.

In contrast, top US tech bosses including the leaders of major AI companies are set to attend today’s banquet.

‘Oppressive dictator’

AI is set to dominate the summit amid growing fears — boosted by warnings from AI CEOs — that the technology risks wiping out humanity.

China and the US are racing for supremacy in the field, viewing it as crucial for the rest of the century.

Preliminary talks on Sunday between Bessent and his Chinese counterpart He Lifeng included discussion of creating a communication channel for AI concerns.

But overall the idea is to extend the “gentleman’s agreement” to reduce tensions between Beijing and Washington despite their rivalry, Jonathan Czin of the Brookings Institution told AFP.

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.

But 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.

The last American president to welcome a foreign leader at Andrews — except for papal visits — was John F. Kennedy in 1962, although Trump welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin off his plane in Alaska last year. — AFP

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美国总统唐纳德·特朗普对中国国家主席习近平表示热烈欢迎，标志着旨在缓解人工智能、贸易和伊朗等问题上紧张局势的国事访问正式开始。

此次活动象征意义大于实质意义，标志着两国贸易休战期的延长，并包括奏唱国歌和军事飞行表演等仪式活动。

尽管没有预期会取得实质性突破，但讨论的目的是在紧张的地缘政治局势中营造一种脆弱的平静。

尽管此次访问在国内受到批评，但它有效地转移了人们对特朗普面临的国内挑战的注意力。

华盛顿，9 月 24 日——美国总统唐纳德·特朗普昨天在机场为中国国家主席习近平举行了罕见的私人欢迎仪式，开启了一场旨在缓和美中大国在人工智能、贸易和伊朗等各个领域紧张关系的盛大国事访问。

预计此次峰会将更注重场面而非实质内容——但华盛顿宣布将与北京的贸易休战期延长两个月，该休战期原定于 11 月到期，这标志着峰会取得了早期突破。

在官员们铺开红地毯迎接之后，特朗普和第一夫人梅拉尼娅与中国国家主席习近平及其夫人彭丽媛握手。习近平主席乘坐的飞机抵达位于华盛顿郊外的美国军用机场安德鲁斯联合基地。

随后，身穿长外套、戴着手套的特朗普和习近平并肩站在停机坪上，军乐队演奏了国歌。

两架 B-1 轰炸机轰鸣着飞过，显然惊动了 80 岁的特朗普，他被喷气式飞机的轰鸣声吓了一跳，皱起了眉头，而他的中国客人则面无表情地站在一旁。

特朗普对习近平5月份访问北京时没有给予他类似的机场欢迎仪式这一事实不以为然。

“我认为这是一次很棒的小型会晤，一次很棒的欢迎，我认为他们对此表示赞赏，”特朗普在白宫欢迎习近平后告诉记者。

此次盛大的访问是习近平与特朗普自这位美国领导人重返政坛以来的第三次访问，访问内容包括正式欢迎仪式和另一次飞行表演、在椭圆形办公室的会谈以及今天在白宫举行的国宴。

明天上午，两对总统夫妇将在白宫喝茶，然后参观国家档案馆（美国《独立宣言》的所在地），此次访问将在此结束。

外界对取得任何突破的预期都很低。分析人士称，这场盛大仪式的目的是为了维持超级大国竞争对手之间脆弱的平静。

尽管此前有报道称北京正在向德黑兰提供情报，但特朗普昨天证实，伊朗战争仍将列入议程。

当法新社记者问他是否会谈到伊朗问题时，特朗普说：“我会谈到这个问题以及许多其他话题——但一切进展顺利，包括这个问题。”

针对特朗普去年全面加征关税引发的持续不断的贸易战，美国财政部长斯科特·贝森特昨天在峰会前密集会谈后宣布，休战协议已经延长。

贝森特表示，“经济缓和”将从11月10日的最后期限延长至1月10日。

但据法新社报道，两名消息人士称，由于习近平代表团中没有中国首席执行官，达成商业交易的希望变得渺茫。

相比之下，包括主要人工智能公司领导人在内的美国顶级科技公司高管将出席今天的宴会。

“专制独裁者”

人工智能技术有可能毁灭人类，而人工智能公司首席执行官们的警告加剧了人们日益增长的担忧，人工智能势必成为本次峰会的焦点。

中美两国正在竞相争夺该领域的霸主地位，认为这对于本世纪余下的时间至关重要。

贝森特与中国外长何立峰周日举行的初步会谈包括讨论建立人工智能相关问题的沟通渠道。

但布鲁金斯学会的乔纳森·钦告诉法新社，总体而言，其目的是扩大“君子协定”，以减少北京和华盛顿之间的紧张关系，尽管两国存在竞争关系。

特朗普对习近平的五星级欢迎引发了其党内对华鹰派的批评，尤其是在有报道称北京向伊朗提供情报以袭击美军的情况下。

“我们的总司令应该记住，他的客人是一位残暴的、未经选举的、压迫性的独裁者，”共和党参议员、强大的参议院军事委员会主席罗杰·威克尔说道。

但对特朗普来说，习近平的访问也是一个让他有机会专注于盛大场面而不是国内问题的机会。在国内，伊朗战争对燃油价格的影响导致他的支持率在11月中期选举前暴跌至历史新低。

除教皇访问外，上一次美国总统在安德鲁斯空军基地迎接外国领导人是1962年的约翰·F·肯尼迪，不过特朗普去年曾在阿拉斯加迎接过俄罗斯总统弗拉基米尔·普京。——法新社

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