Trump-Xi summit begins with great fanfare but low expectations

U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House on Thursday for a summit heavy on symbolism and light on expected substance. The leaders highlighted trade progress, stable ties and talks on security, technology and artificial intelligence. Major breakthroughs were seen as unlikely, with possible outcomes limited to extending a trade truce and discussing AI-related concerns.

The summit was Xi Jinping’s first visit to Washington in more than a decade and the second meeting this year between the leaders of the world’s two biggest economies.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the two sides agreed to extend a trade truce until January 10, after talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng.

Trump said he wanted to discuss security, technology and super intelligence, his term for artificial intelligence, while Xi said the two countries should manage AI under human control.

Sources briefed on the issue said Xi is expected to press Trump to halt Taiwan arms sales, and China is offering help to put pressure on Iran in return.

Published Sep 25, 2026 1:08 am KST

Chinese President Xi Jinping and President Donald Trump watch as the U.S. Army Drill Team passes in review during a state visit welcoming ceremony at the White House in Washington DC on Thursday. Xi is on a three-day state visit to the U.S. and will hold talks with U.S. officials on tariffs, AI, and other issues. UPI-Yonhap

WASHINGTON — U.S. President Donald Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House on Thursday for a lavish state summit expected to be heavy on symbolism but light on substance, with both leaders keen to showcase stable ties despite a host of thorny issues such as AI, trade, Taiwan and the war with Iran.

In remarks on Thursday from the grand foyer of the White House, Trump touted his "truly great friendship" with Xi and said the two powers had made strides on trade since his trip to China in May.

"During this visit, we will also discuss pressing issues concerning security, technology, and 'super intelligence,'" Trump said, using his alternative name for artificial intelligence. "The decisions we make in these areas today can promote peace and prosperity for decades and decades to come."

Speaking after Trump, Xi said the competition between the U.S. and China should be a "healthy one." U.S. companies were welcome in China, he said, adding that he hopes "Chinese companies are treated fairly here in the United States."

Xi also said both militaries should maintain regular dialogue to improve crisis prevention.

"The Thucydides trap can be overcome," he said, referring to the academic theory that sees a risk of rivalry between a rising and an established power spiraling into open conflict.

The summit, Xi's first visit to Washington in more than a decade, is the second meeting this year between the leaders of the world's two biggest economies.

Pomp and circumstance

For Trump, who relishes ceremony and prizes his ties with powerful leaders, the visit is as much a matter of national prestige as an opportunity for high-stakes diplomacy. The U.S. president aimed to reciprocate the grand welcome he received in China in May.

But Trump and Xi's remarks were not carried live by any U.S. television networks, which have collectively declined to provide footage in protest of the White House's ban of CNN, MS Now and Politico.

Trump greeted Xi on arrival on Wednesday evening with a red carpet on the tarmac, the first time a U.S. president has welcomed a foreign leader at Joint Base Andrews since President Barack Obama met Pope Francis in 2015, according to C-SPAN, which tracks presidential events.

Following their remarks on Thursday, the two leaders observed a military ceremony including a flyover at the Rose Garden, with Chinese flags waving from the Oval Office roof alongside U.S. flags, before a scheduled bilateral meeting.

Trump's embrace of Xi could complicate his campaign message at home ahead of November's midterm elections, when Republicans' narrow congressional majorities are at stake.

The president for months has labeled Democrats "communists" in an effort to paint them as too extreme, but he welcomed Xi, the head of the Chinese Communist Party, on Thursday as a dear personal friend.

Breakthroughs unlikely

Despite the fanfare, analysts say major breakthroughs are unlikely, with tangible outcomes potentially limited to an extension of a trade truce expiring in November and an agreement to examine threats posed by artificial intelligence.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News on Wednesday after talks with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng that they had agreed to extend until January 10 an agreement that paused a trade war that saw mutual tariffs top 100%.

Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Thursday morning that the two leaders would discuss "super intelligence" but again indicated he has little interest in imposing new regulations, despite concerns from industry leaders that AI could eventually pose a threat to humans.

"Super Intelligence (SI) will be a big topic of discussion, but I want to leave it exactly where it is," Trump wrote. "That is China's position also."

During his comments on Thursday, Xi said both countries have "the capability and responsibility to develop and manage AI for good, and ensure that the development of AI is always under human control."

Analysts say intense competition between the two powers in AI is likely to limit the scope for anything beyond symbolic agreements.

People familiar with the plans say the talks could also yield deals to lower some tariffs, combat drug trafficking and expand military-to-military dialogue, while Trump is expected to seek the release of Americans and others detained in China.

Xi appears to be in a stronger position, having overseen a surge in China's trade and firmly in control of supplies of rare earth minerals that give him powerful leverage.

Both leaders see advantages in keeping relations stable, with Trump mired in the unpopular Iran war and Xi grappling with domestic economic challenges.

But beneath the surface are challenges that could reignite tensions, including disputes over Taiwan, export controls and AI.

Taiwan, a democratically governed island claimed by China, is the most contentious issue.

U.S. allies in Asia are concerned Trump may be tempted to soften Washington's support for Taipei to lock in economic wins with China.

Xi is expected to press Trump to halt Taiwan arms sales and could do this during a planned visit by the two to the U.S. National Archives on Friday, sources who were briefed on the issue told Reuters. In return, China is offering help to put pressure on Iran, the sources added.

After the May summit, Trump said he was holding in abeyance an arms package to Taiwan worth some $14 billion and called it a "very good negotiating chip."

The leaders will likely discuss the Iran war, but there has been little sign Beijing is willing to exert pressure on its ally to yield to U.S. demands.

The guest list for Thursday's state dinner includes CEOs like Apple's Tim Cook, Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Alphabet's Sundar Pichai, OpenAI's Sam Altman, Tesla's Elon Musk and Nvidia's Jensen Huang, but despite such an array, people familiar with U.S. plans say Trump is likely to maintain firm export controls on U.S. tech Xi wants loosened.

美国总统特朗普周四在白宫欢迎中国国家主席习近平出席峰会，此次峰会象征意义大于实质内容。两国领导人重点讨论了贸易进展、稳定关系以及安全、科技和人工智能等议题。外界普遍认为此次峰会不太可能取得重大突破，可能的结果仅限于延长贸易休战期和讨论人工智能相关问题。

此次峰会是习近平主席十多年来首次访问华盛顿，也是今年世界两大经济体领导人之间的第二次会晤。

美国财政部长斯科特·贝森特表示，在与中国国务院副总理何立峰会谈后，双方同意将贸易休战期延长至1月10日。

特朗普表示，他想讨论安全、技术和超级智能（他用这个词来指代人工智能），而习近平则表示，两国应该在人类的控制下管理人工智能。

知情人士透露，习近平预计将向特朗普施压，要求其停止向台湾出售武器，而中国则表示愿意帮助向伊朗施压，以此作为回报。

发布于2026年9月25日凌晨1点08分（韩国标准时间）

周四，在华盛顿白宫举行的国事访问欢迎仪式上，中国国家主席习近平和美国总统唐纳德·特朗普观看美国陆军仪仗队检阅。习近平正在对美国进行为期三天的国事访问，期间将与美国官员就关税、人工智能等问题举行会谈。UPI-Yonhap

华盛顿——美国总统唐纳德·特朗普周四在白宫欢迎中国国家主席习近平出席盛大的国事峰会。预计此次峰会象征意义大于实质内容，尽管存在人工智能、贸易、台湾和伊朗战争等一系列棘手问题，但两国领导人都渴望展现稳定的关系。

周四，特朗普在白宫大厅发表讲话，盛赞他与习近平的“真正伟大的友谊”，并表示自他5月份访华以来，两国在贸易方面取得了长足进步。

“此次访问期间，我们还将讨论有关安全、技术和‘超级智能’的紧迫问题，”特朗普说，他用“超级智能”来指代人工智能。“我们今天在这些领域做出的决定，将对未来几十年乃至更长时间的和平与繁荣产生深远影响。”

在特朗普之后，习近平表示，中美竞争应该是“良性竞争”。他说，中国欢迎美国企业来华发展，并表示希望“中国企业在美国也能得到公平对待”。

习近平还表示，两军应保持定期对话，以提高危机防范能力。

“修昔底德陷阱是可以克服的，”他说道，指的是那种认为新兴强权与既有强权之间的竞争有可能演变成公开冲突的学术理论。

此次峰会是习近平十多年来首次访问华盛顿，也是今年世界两大经济体领导人之间的第二次会晤。

盛大仪式

对于喜爱礼仪、重视与强权领导人关系的特朗普而言，此次访问既关乎国家声望，也是一次高风险外交的良机。美国总统此行的目的是回馈他五月份在中国受到的盛大欢迎。

但特朗普和习近平的讲话没有在美国任何一家电视网络进行现场直播，这些电视网络集体拒绝提供画面，以抗议白宫禁止 CNN、MS Now 和 Politico 的播出。

据追踪总统活动的 C-SPAN 报道，周三晚间，特朗普在停机坪上铺设红毯迎接习近平主席的到来，这是自 2015 年奥巴马总统会见教皇方济各以来，美国总统首次在安德鲁斯联合基地迎接外国领导人。

周四发表讲话后，两位领导人在玫瑰园观看了包括飞行表演在内的军事仪式，中国国旗与美国国旗一起在椭圆形办公室屋顶上飘扬，之后举行了预定的双边会晤。

特朗普对习近平的亲近可能会使他在国内的竞选信息变得复杂，尤其是在11月的中期选举中，共和党在国会的微弱多数席位将面临考验。

几个月来，总统一直给民主党人贴上“共产主义者”的标签，试图将他们描绘成过于极端的人，但他周四却像对待亲密的私人朋友一样欢迎了中国共产党领导人习近平。

不太可能取得突破

尽管声势浩大，但分析人士表示，不太可能取得重大突破，切实成果可能仅限于延长将于 11 月到期的贸易休战协议，以及达成一项审查人工智能所构成威胁的协议。

美国财政部长斯科特·贝森特周三在与中国副总理何立峰会谈后告诉福克斯新闻，他们已同意将暂停贸易战的协议延长至1月10日，此前双方的关税一度超过100%。

特朗普周四上午在 Truth Social 上发帖称，两位领导人将讨论“超级智能”，但他再次表示，尽管业界领袖担心人工智能最终可能对人类构成威胁，但他对实施新的监管措施兴趣不大。

“超级智能（SI）将是一个重要的讨论话题，但我希望它保持现状，”特朗普写道。“这也是中国的立场。”

习近平在周四的讲话中表示，中美两国“有能力、有责任发展和管理人工智能造福人类，并确保人工智能的发展始终处于人类的控制之下”。

分析人士表示，人工智能领域中美两国之间的激烈竞争可能会限制双方达成除象征性协议之外的任何合作。

知情人士表示，会谈还可能达成降低部分关税、打击毒品走私和扩大军事对话的协议，而特朗普预计将寻求释放被中国拘留的美国公民和其他人。

习近平似乎处于更有利的地位，他主导了中国贸易的激增，并牢牢掌控着稀土矿产的供应，这赋予了他强大的影响力。

两位领导人都认为保持关系稳定对双方都有利，特朗普深陷不得人心的伊朗战争泥潭，而习近平则面临国内经济挑战。

但表面之下却隐藏着可能再次引发紧张局势的挑战，包括台湾争端、出口管制和人工智能等问题。

台湾是一个实行民主治理但被中国声称拥有主权的岛屿，是最具争议的问题。

美国在亚洲的盟友担心，特朗普可能会为了巩固与中国的经济利益而削弱华盛顿对台北的支持。

据路透社援引知情人士消息称，习近平预计将敦促特朗普停止对台军售，并可能在周五与特朗普一同访问美国国家档案馆期间提出这一要求。消息人士还补充说，作为回报，中国将协助向伊朗施压。

五月峰会后，特朗普表示，他暂缓向台湾提供价值约 140 亿美元的武器，并称其为“非常好的谈判筹码”。

两国领导人可能会讨论伊朗战争，但几乎没有迹象表明北京愿意向其盟友施压，迫使其屈服于美国的要求。

周四国宴的宾客名单包括苹果公司首席执行官蒂姆·库克、亚马逊公司首席执行官杰夫·贝佐斯、Alphabet公司首席执行官桑达尔·皮查伊、OpenAI公司首席执行官萨姆·奥特曼、特斯拉公司首席执行官埃隆·马斯克和英伟达公司首席执行官黄仁勋等首席执行官，但尽管有如此众多的人物出席，熟悉美国计划的人士表示，特朗普可能会维持对美国科技产品严格的出口管制，而习近平希望放松这些管制。