Chinese President Xi Jinping called for “healthy competition” between China and the United States during a meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House, as the two sides agreed to extend their trade truce until 10 January 2027, allowing additional time to negotiate disputes between the world’s two largest economies.
Speaking during the welcoming ceremony, Xi said competition between the two countries should not turn into a confrontation in which one side wins and the other loses, calling for greater dialogue, efforts to identify common interests and the preservation of communication channels between Washington and Beijing.
Trump, for his part, pointed to what he described as the two countries’ shared interests and progress on trade, saying the talks would cover security, technology and artificial intelligence.
Tariffs and access to markets
The economic issues on the agenda include expanding access for US products to the Chinese market, as well as tariffs and trade and technology restrictions that have been a major source of disputes between the two countries.
Xi called for Chinese companies to receive fair treatment in the United States, stressing that his country welcomed investment by US companies in China.
Dialogue mechanism on artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is among the summit’s key issues, amid intensifying competition between Washington and Beijing over advanced chips, data centers, and the development of models and applications.
Xi said China and the United States had the ability and responsibility to develop and manage artificial intelligence in ways that deliver benefits, while ensuring that it remains under human control and serves people’s well-being.
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced before the summit that the two sides had agreed to establish a dialogue mechanism on artificial intelligence to discuss security risks associated with the technology. Trump said artificial intelligence would be a major topic in his talks with Xi, as competition between the two countries to lead the sector globally intensifies.
Visit runs from 23 to 25 September
Xi said the two countries’ interests were interconnected and that there was broad scope for cooperation, calling for more communication between government bodies responsible for the economy, finance and other areas.
Xi’s visit to Washington is his first to the US capital in more than a decade, as both sides seek to manage their trade and technology disputes and prevent them from developing into a broader confrontation.
The Chinese president’s visit to the United States runs from 23 to 25 September, and includes, alongside bilateral talks, a formal White House dinner.
